Application of U-FAST Technology in Sintering of Submicron WC-Co Carbides

Joanna Wachowicz; Robert Kruzel; Zbigniew Bałaga; Agnieszka Ostrowska; Tomasz Dembiczak

doi:10.3390/ma16062450

Application of U-FAST Technology in Sintering of Submicron WC-Co Carbides

Materials (Basel). 2023 Mar 19;16(6):2450. doi: 10.3390/ma16062450.

Authors

Joanna Wachowicz¹, Robert Kruzel², Zbigniew Bałaga³, Agnieszka Ostrowska⁴, Tomasz Dembiczak⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Wood Sciences and Furniture, Department of Mechanical Processing of Wood, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska Street, 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland.
² Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czestochowa University of Technology, Akademicka Street 3, 42-201 Czestochowa, Poland.
³ Faculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology, Czestochowa University of Technology, Armii Krajowej Street, 19, 42-201 Czestochowa, Poland.
⁴ Department of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Ciszewskiego Street 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland.
⁵ Faculty of Science and Technology, Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa, Armii Krajowej Street 13/15, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland.

Abstract

This article presents the microstructure, hardness, fracture toughness coefficient K_IC and phase composition of submicron WC-4Co carbides. The carbides were sintered using the innovative U-FAST (Upgraded Field Assisted Sintering Technology) method, from mixtures of WC-Co powders with an average WC grain size of 0.4 µm and 0.8 µm. The obtained sinters were characterized by a relative density above 99% of the theoretical density. The hardness of the obtained composites was above 2000 HV30, while the K_IC coefficient was about 8 MPa m^1/2.

Keywords: WC-Co carbides; powder metallurgy; sintering.

Grants and funding

DEC-2021/05/X/ST5/00868/National Science Center