Chapter 15 - Major trends in the research and development of cemented carbides

Abstract

Major modern trends in the research and development of novel cemented carbides are briefly outlined in this chapter. One of such trends is the grain boundary design of WC–Co materials at WC/Co and WC/WC interfaces, which can potentially result in significantly improved mechanical and performance properties of cemented carbides. Another general trend in modern materials science is related to in situ examinations of deformation and thermal processes in different materials, particularly, in cemented carbides, directly in transmission electron microscopes. One more general trend in modern materials science, which becomes more and more popular for examining cemented carbides, is micromechanical testing of various materials by use of micropillars and other articles obtained by the focused ion beam technique. Different techniques of additive manufacturing, which is a powerful tool for rapid prototyping and fabricating metal articles with a complicated geometry, are presently investigated and optimized with respect to fabrication of cemented carbide parts. Development of diamond-enhanced cemented carbides is presently a topic of great importance, as such materials could potentially possess an exceptionally high combination of hardness, fracture toughness, and wear resistance.