High-frequency induction heated sintering of nanostructured WC and WC-TiAl3 hard materials their mechanical properties

Tungsten carbides are primarily used as cutting tools and abrasive materials in the form of composites with a binder metal, such as Co or Ni. However, these binder phases have low corrosion resistance compared to the carbide phase and the high cost of Ni or Co. Therefore, the drawbacks of the WC-Ni and WC-Co cermets have generated interest in recent years for alternative binder phases. In this study, TiAl3 was used as a novel binder and consolidated by the high-frequency induction heated sintering (HFIHS) method. The advantage of this process is not only rapid densification to near theoretical density but also the prohibition of grain growth in nano-structured materials. Highly dense WC-TiAl3 with a relative density of up to 98% was obtained within one min by HFIHS under a pressure of 80 MPa. The microstructure and the mechanical properties (hardness and fracture toughness) of the sintered WC and WC-TiAl3 were investigated.