Correlation between microstructural heterogeneity and mechanical properties of WC-Co composite additively manufactured by selective laser melting

Abstract

A unique heterogeneous microstructure was generated in the tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) composite additively-manufactured by selective laser melting (SLM). In this work, the effect of microstructural heterogeneity on mechanical properties and crack propagation in SLM-processed WC-Co is investigated. The strength and strain calculation model is constructed to analyze mechanical properties in heterogeneous WC-Co. Especially, this heterogeneity contributes to further deformation by interrupting crack propagation. The SLM process can be a candidate for manufacturing process to tailor microstructural heterogeneity of WC-Co composite.