The study of ternary carbides formation during SPS consolidation process in the WC–Co–steel system

Abstract

Abstract Tungsten carbide has a wide range of applications, mainly cemented carbides made of WC and Co, as wear resistant materials. However, the high cost of WC–Co powders encourages the use of a substrate to manufacture a functionally graded material (FGM) tool made of WC–Co and a tool steel. These materials join the high wear resistance of the cemented carbide and the toughness of the steel. This work deals with the study interaction of the WC–Co and H13 steel to design a functionally graded material by means of spark plasma sintering (SPS). The SPS, a novel sintering technique reaching the consolidation of the powders at relatively low temperatures and short dwell times, is a promising technique in processing materials. In this study, WC, H13 steel, WC–Co, WC–H13 steel and WC–Co–H13 steel bulk samples were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques to evaluate the phase transformations involved during SPS consolidation process. The W 2 C and W 3 Fe 3 C precipitation were identified after the SPS consolidation of the WC and WC–H13 steel samples, respectively. The precipitation of W 4 Co 2 C was also identified in the WC–Co and WC–Co–H13 steel samples. The WC–H13 steel and WC–Co–H13 steel were also evaluated after heat treatments at 1100 °C for 9 h, which enhanced the chemical interaction and the precipitation of W 3 Fe 3 C and W 4 Co 2 C, respectively.