Chemical composition analysis and hardness measurement of the cutting pick

Abstract

Cutting pick is the main cutting tool in mining engineering. Material composition is the key in determining the properties of cutting tools. The present study carried out chemical composition analysis and hardness tests of all the constituent parts of conical pick. The microstructure of cutter head has been observed and analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) so as to understand the distribution of carbide grains well. Linear intercept method has been applied to calculate WC grain size in cemented carbide. Hardness measurements suggest that the materials used for cutting pick in the work can satisfy the requirement of wear resistance well. Cutter head is WC-Co cemented carbide that has good combination of high hardness and toughness. Fe-based surfacing layer is quite qualified as the protective layer for cutting pick due to its higher hardness as well as higher wear resistance relative to that of pick matrix.