Single Edge Notched Beam Research Articles

Mechanical and thermal properties of multiwalled carbon-nanotube-reinforced Al2O3 nanocomposites

Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-reinforced Al2O3-matrix nanocomposites were obtained by wet ball milling composite powders and spark plasma sintering. The mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposites with five different MWCNT concentrations from 0 to 2.0 wt% were studied. Results show that the matrix grain sizes of the composites decreased after MWCNT addition. The hardness, bending strength, and fracture toughness of 0.5 wt% MWCNT nanocomposite are the highest, which are 35.7%, 55%, and 182% higher than those of monolithic alumina, respectively. Errors of fracture toughness values obtained by the single-edge notch beam method are significantly smaller than those measured by the direct crack measurement method. With the addition of MWCNTs, the thermal conductivity of the nanocomposites decreases gradually, reaching the minimum of 12 W/mK in 2.0 wt% MWCNT composite at 300 °C. The thermal conductivity decreased owing to the agglomeration of MWCNTs and changes in the porosity and grain size of the composite matrix. No distinct difference is observed in thermal expansion behaviours between the nanocomposites and monolithic Al2O3 owing to the low content of MWCNTs.

Structural designation and mechanical properties of TiNi/Ti2Ni laminated composites

TiNi/Ti2Ni laminated composites were fabricated using hot isostatic pressing (HIP) furnace together with structural designation by the control of Ti and Ni foil thicknesses. During HIP processing, Ti reacts with Ni, leading to the formation of softer TiNi and harder Ti2Ni. Through adjusting the thickness ratio of Ti and Ni foils, the ratio of TiNi and Ti2Ni fraction can be controlled. Hard-soft-hard, soft-hard-soft and hard-intermediate-soft laminated composites were designed, where hard layer was made by 50 μm Ti and 20 μm Ni, soft layer was made by 40 μm Ti and 20 μm Ni, and the intermediate structure between hard and soft ones was made by 45 μm Ti and 20 μm Ni. The mechanical properties were characterized using uniaxial tension, uniaxial compression, single edge-notched beam and split-Hopkinson pressure bar. The results show that all three laminated composites have compression strength of 1690 ∼ 1853 MPa and fracture toughness of 27.2 ∼ 37.9 MPa• m1/2 due to the same constituents of TiNi and Ti2Ni. However, the soft-hard-soft structure shows the best response under high strain rate because it was fractured into larger pieces while the other two structures were fractured into smaller pieces together with smaller fracture strain.

Material properties for fracture mechanics based strength assessment of cast iron water mains

Municipal water distribution systems in Canada and other countries include a large number of cast iron pipes that were installed almost 50 years ago. For structural integrity assessment of these pipes, the fracture mechanics approach is found to be more effective than the conventional continuum mechanics-based approach. This paper presents the mechanical properties for fracture mechanics-based strength assessment of water mains determined through testing of cast iron pipes exhumed from two cities in Canada. Microstructure analysis is conducted to understand the materials’ inherent properties. Uniaxial tensile tests are conducted to determine the stress–strain relations. The influence of the rate of loading on stress–strain behaviour and loading-unloading responses are investigated. A simplified single-edge notch beam test is used to obtain the fracture toughness. Probabilistic distributions of the parameters are provided to account for the uncertainty and variabilities observed in the test results.

The Mechanical Performance of a Novel Self-Adhesive Restorative Material.

The development of a novel material requires a comprehensive pre-clinical assessment of clinical longevity before any market release. This study aimed to investigate the mechanical performance of a novel self-adhesive restorative material (ASAR MP4). Fracture strength (FS), flexural fatigue strength (FFS) and fracture toughness (KIc) were measured for the experimental material ASAR MP4 in self-cure (SC) and light-cure (LC) mode. ASAR MP4 was processed in capsules. Three direct resin composites (CeramX mono+, DentsplySirona; Heliomolar, IvoclarVivadent; Filtek Supreme XTE, 3M) and two glass-ionomer-cement (GIC) based materials (Equia Forte, GC; Fuji II LC, GC) were selected for comparison with ASAR MP4. FS specimens (n = 15) were tested in a 4-point bending configuration according to ISO 4049 and 9917. FFS specimens (n = 25) were additionally stressed for 104 loading cycles using the staircase approach. The single-edge-notch beam (SENB) configuration was selected for determining KIc according to ISO 13586. All specimens were stored for 14 days at 37°C. Data were analyzed using Weibull statistics (FS), ANOVA (FS, KIc), and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test (FFS). The FS, FFS and KIc data of the ASAR MP4 material reveal a mechanical performance in the range of the successful permanent direct resin composites CeramX mono+ and Heliomolar. The results for ASAR MP4 in SC mode were superior to the LC mode. A fine-grained and pore-free microstructure was observed. Within the limitations of this study we conclude that the novel self-adhesive restorative material ASAR MP4 exhibits mechanical performance close to that of the resin composites Heliomolar and CeramX mono+, both indicated for permanent use in the load-bearing posterior region. Processing the material in either self-cure or light-cure mode led to superior performance over glass-ionomer cements.

Study on the reinforcement effect and the underlying mechanisms of a bitumen reinforced with recycled glass fiber chips

Abstract The majority of discarded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites worldwide are dumped as waste in landfills, entailing major environmental concerns. Recycling and reusing these discarded FRP composites remain a big challenge. In this work, a possible method for using the recycled glass fiber chips (GFC) as a reinforcement material for bitumen used in pavement is proposed to solve this issue. For this purpose, GFC with different lengths and diameters were chosen and dispersed evenly into bitumen with three mass contents. To gain a throughout understanding of the reinforcement effect of GFC in bitumen, a range of basic properties, such as the high-temperature performance, low-temperature performance and water resistance, were thoroughly investigated by the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) test, bending beam rheometer (BBR) test, single-edge notched beam (SENB) test and surface free energy (SFE) test. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms of reinforcement through the addition of GFC was revealed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is interesting that GFC can not only significantly improve the high-temperature performance of bitumen, such as the stiffness, rutting resistance, and creep and recovery behaviors, but also inhibits low-temperature cracking and improve the water resistance of asphalt mixture. These results are attributed to the stable three-dimensional structure created by the network of GFC in the bitumen. The GFC also enhances the material behavior through a bridging function and the specific pull-out behavior. The optimal geometry of GFC as a reinforcement additive was determined to be a diameter of 0.5–0.71 mm and a length of 10–12 mm, the optimal mass content was found to be 5% from this study. Based on the present investigation, it is highly recommended to use the recycled GFC as a reinforcement material in bitumen in both high- and low-temperature regions. Besides, the application of the recycled GFC can reduce the environmental footprint as well as costs.

Effects of biocompatible Nanofillers on mixed-mode I and II fracture toughness of PMMA base dentures

A modified single edge cracked bend beam specimen called “inclined edge crack asymmetric bend” (IE-CAB) specimen was designed and proposed for investigating mixed mode I/II fracture toughness behavior of brittle materials. Using a large number of finite element analyses performed for different geometry and loading conditions, it was demonstrated that unlike the conventional single edge notch beam specimen, the IE-CAB configuration can provide full combinations of mode mixities from pure mode I to pure mode II. Then the IE-CAB specimen was employed for mixed mode I/II fracture toughness testing of two PMMA based denture materials (i.e. neat PMMA and toughened PMMA with Nano-hydroxyapatite (HAP)and Nano-alumina (Al2O3) particles). The obtained experimental results showed that adding bio-compatible (HAP and Al2O3) Nano-particles can increase both modes I and II fracture resistance (KIc and KIIc) values of base PMMA denture. However, the influence of such particles was more pronounced on enhancing mode I fracture toughness (KIc) value. Pure mode II fracture toughness value was obtained less than the pure mode I fracture toughness in the tested specimen showing the higher crack growth risk of such PMMA base dentures against dominantly shear loads. The well-known maximum tangential stress theory was also used for estimating the obtained experimental data both for mixed mode fracture toughness and fracture initiation direction in the tested PMMA base denture materials.

Techniques for characterizing the mechanical properties of aerogels

In this paper, we present the different characterization techniques used to measure the mechanical properties of silica aerogels. The mechanical behaviour of aerogels is generally described in terms of elastic and fragile materials (such as glasses or ceramics) but also in terms of plastic media in compression testing. Because of these very different mechanical behaviors, several types of characterization techniques are proposed in the literature. We first describe the dynamic characterization techniques such as ultrasounds, Brillouin scattering, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to measure the elastic properties: Young's modulus (E) , shear modulus (G), poisson ratio (υ) but also attenuation and internal friction. Thanks to static techniques such as three-point bending, uniaxial compression, compression we also access to the elastic modulus (E) and to the rupture strength (σ). The experimental results show that the value of the elastic and fracture moduli measured is several orders of magnitude lower than that of a material without porosity. With regard to the brittleness characteristics, Weibull's analysis is used to show the statistical nature of the fracture resistance. We also present the SENB (single edge notched beam technique) technique to characterize toughness (K1C) and the stress corrosion mechanisms, which are studied in ambient conditions and temperature by the double-cleavage drilled compression experiment (DCDC). In the last part of the paper, we show how, during the isostatic compression test, aerogels behave like plastic materials.The data allow calculating the bulk modulus (K), the amplitude of the plastic deformation and the yield strength (σel), which is the boundary between the elastic and plastic domains. These different techniques allow understanding which parameters influence the overall mechanical behavior of aerogels, such as pore volume, but also pore size, internal connectivity and silanol bounds content. It is shown that pore size plays a very important role; pores can be considered as flaws in the terms of fracture mechanics.

Effect of Silicone Oil on Dispersion and Low-Temperature Fracture Performance of Crumb Rubber Asphalt

Low-temperature cracking is one of the major pavement distresses in cold regions. To reduce the prevalence of such cracks, crumb rubber modified asphalt (CRMA) has been applied for a long time. However, CRMA experiences compatibility and segregation problems with asphalt. Silicone oil has long been seen to improve compatibility and segregation problems of polymers in asphalt, but its benefits on low temperature performance of crumb rubber asphalt have not been explored. Furthermore, silicone oil can be obtained as virgin or recycled from industrial transformers; however, the recycled silicone oil’s influence on low-temperature crack performance of asphalt has also not been explored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of recycled silicone oil (SO) on dispersion and low-temperature fracture performance of crumb rubber asphalt. The fracture mechanics-based single-edge notch beam (SENB) test was performed at temperatures of −12°C, −18°C, and −24°C. In addition, fluorescence microscopy (FM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) experiments were also conducted. Results show that the addition of SO to CRMA increases displacement, fracture energy, and fracture toughness at low temperature while it decreases stiffness which reduces cracking. In addition, AFM results show that surface roughness increases with the addition of SO which indicates that bonding of asphalt and rubber particles had also improved. FM also confirmed that dispersion of rubber particles had improved with addition of silicone oil. FTIR results revealed that asphalt samples with SO treatment were hydrophobic which potentially repels water ingress and delays the freezing of asphalt. Lastly, statistical analysis revealed that the influence of silicone oil on low-temperature performance of rubber asphalt was significant. Therefore, the study concluded that fracture cracking resistance is improved by addition of silicone oil to crumb rubber asphalt.

Investigations on fracture characteristics of geosynthetic reinforced asphalt concrete beams using single edge notch beam tests

Reflective cracking is a major cause for premature deterioration of asphalt pavements. Different varieties of geosynthetics are used at the interfaces of surface layers to control the reflective cracks. The significant factors influencing their efficiency are the flexural strength and interfacial bonding. Fracture energy that leads to development of cracks and their propagation can be investigated by single-edge notched beam (SENB) tests with sufficient accuracy. Double layered asphalt samples were extracted from pavement sections purposely built as part of this investigation for conducting quasi-static SENB tests. The goal of this paper is two-fold (a) to present a methodology for conducting SENB tests to measure the fracture properties of geosynthetic reinforced samples at temperatures of 10 °C, 20 °C and 30 °C and (b) evaluation of the flexural and the fracture characteristics of unreinforced and geosynthetic reinforced samples. The geosynthetic reinforcement did not show much improvement of the Asphalt Concrete (AC) in the pre-cracking phase but slowed down the crack propagation. The failure pattern of reinforced specimens has changed from quasi-brittle to ductile. An equation is proposed to predict the crack initiation force of SENB sample knowing the bond strength of the corresponding reinforced AC layers at their respective temperature.

Robust characterization of crack propagation in 3D woven composites and evidences of size dependency

The failure of fibers inside the yarns of 3D woven carbon/epoxy composites is investigated experimentally by estimating the critical energy release rate GC, through the analysis of Compact Tension (CT) and Single Edge Notched Beam (SENB) specimens. Close attention is paid to the specimen design as well as the tracking of the crack growth. Several data analysis methods are compared in order to obtain a valid process for highly anisotropic materials such as 3D woven composites with a relatively large Representative Elementary Volume (REV). Variation of GC with the specimen size and geometry is obtained and evidences of the invalidity of the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) framework for 3D woven composites are highlighted.

Numerical Simulation for Synergetic Deformation of Optical Fiber Sensor and Asphalt Mixture

Owing to the structural and material differences, data obtained by distributed optical fiber sensors (OFS) for asphalt pavement strain measurement lack of precision. For better understanding OFS measurement mechanism and investigating the measurement error correction, this study analyzed the synergetic deformation of OFS and asphalt mixture (AM) under load. Firstly, a three-dimensional AM single-edge notched beam (SEB) model with OFS was established and verified using the discrete element method. Secondly, the micro-crack propagation of SEB model during loading procedure was analyzed to explore the debonding behavior between OFS and AM. Thirdly, strain development of OFS and AM was investigated during fracture stage and post-fracture stage. Finally, a measurement error correction method was developed based upon the materials and test conditions in this study. Results demonstrate that debonding occurs on OFS surface when macro-crack extends across OFS position. The key to making the strain measurement accuracy is to ensure the effective bonding between OFS and AM. In addition, this study provides a framework used to develop the measurement error correction, and the research results give the theoretical foundation for data selection and error correction of asphalt pavement strain measurement and crack detection using distributed optical fiber sensors.

Cracking simulation of asphalt concrete beam specimen using cohesive zone model

Abstract Bending beam test is widely used for evaluating the tensile strength of asphalt concrete (AC). The test results are strongly influenced by the types of raw materials and their characteristics. Cohesive Zone Model (CZM) provides a new available approach for the cracking simulation of this test. After the parameters of materials were measured by adjusted Indirect Tensile Test (IDT) and Single-Edge notched Beam (SEB) test, CZM model was used to simulate the beginning and propagation of cracking through asphalt concrete beam. 2D and 3D digital specimen were generated from the digital picture and mathematical software separately. Under the same loading speed, actual test and digital simulations were accomplished and compared. Fracture energy, displacement at mid-span and maximum load during the test were recorded or computed. Through the comparability of the data above, it can be concluded that the cracking propagation path of the simulation result was very similar to the actual one. The fracture energies of 2D and 3D models were 21.00% and 7.68% lower than the measured result separately. The method using in this paper provides a new digital test approach to simulate the fracture of AC specimen.

Processing and Evaluation of Al6082 based Hybrid Matrix Composites for Fracture Toughness using Taguchi Method

Conventional monolithic materials are limited in gaining a proper combination of toughness, hardness, density, stiffness and strength. Application of Metal Matrix Composites (MMC’s) in areas such as automotive, aerospace, marine etc. are the most promising materials and gaining extensive response in the present day scenario. These materials are economical with high performance comparatively. Fracture toughness is low when compared to metals; i.e., Metal Matrix Composites are most sought to be often used in typical applications. Evaluation of the plane strain fracture toughness using specimen geometries and notches by various researchers for the application of Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics have been benchmarked[1,2,3,4,5,].In the present work, evaluation of fracture toughness of Al6082 based Al2O3/Al2SiO5 particulate composites are fabricated using stir casting method. Input parameters such as wt. % of Al2O3, stirring speed and stir time on the hardness, tensile strength, impact strength and fracture toughness of cast Al6082/Al2O3/Al2SiO5 composites is investigated by Taguchi method.Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal array shows wt. % of Al2O3 is a higher influential factor for experimental design. Three process parameters i.e. wt. % of Al2O3 (3, 6, 9), stirring speed (150, 200, 250 rpm) and stirring time (5, 10, 15 min) are used to fabricate samples of MMC’s comprising of each factor with 3 levels. Micro structural characterization via scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to have a visual observation on distribution of Al2O3 particles in Al 6082 matrix. Rockwell hardness, tensile test as per ASTM standards, Impact test by charpy technique and single - edge notched beam (SENB) for fracture toughness was carried.

Fracture toughness of CTBN modified PF particleboard based on equal deflection rigidity

The fracture toughness of particleboard should be evaluated when it was intended to use in the structure system. Single edge notched beam (SENB) test method was employed to measure stress intensity factor (SIF) of the internal middle layer of the PF and CTBN modified PF particleboard. Equal deflection rigidity algorithm (EDRA) was used to homogenized the sandwich bi-material beam in order to make the test procedure match ASTM E399-2017. The results shown that the optimized CTBN addition was among 8% to 12% and the improve ratio of SIF of the particleboard middle layer was 27.27 %. Owing to the different broken mechanism, the tested fracture performance show more stability compared to the traditional internal bonding (IB) test. But the fracture test strongly depend on the notched incision morphology.

Investigating the effect of SPS‎ parameters on densification ‎and fracture toughness of ZrB2-SiC nanocomposite‎

In this study, the effect of sintering parameters on densification and fracture toughness of spark plasma sintering ZrB2-SiC nanocomposites was evaluated. For this purpose, ZrB2-‎‎30 vol% SiC nanocomposites in the conditions of ‎1600 °C-4 min, 1700 °C-4 min, 1800 °C-4 min, 1800 °C-8 min, 1800 °C-12 min‎ were sintered.‎ Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used in order to investigate the ‎microstructural variations. The bulk density was measured accoring to ASTM C 373–88. Single edge notch beam (SENB) method was used to ‎determine the fracture toughness of samples. Microstructural observations showed that ‎an increase in sintering temperature led to slight ‎increase in SiC grains size but no sensitive variation in ZrB2. However, increasing the sintering time resulted to increase both ZrB2 and SiC grain size. Also, it was found, temperature and time ascent always increases the relative density. In addition, it was concluded that optimal temperature and time to reach the highest fracture toughness are 1800 °C and 8 min, respectively. Investigation of SEM images of the Vickers indent and their path propagation showed that the deviation and branching of crack are the most important toughening ‎mechanisms in ZrB2-SiC nanocomposites.‎

Fracture Toughness of Thermal Spray Ceramics: Measurement Techniques and Processing Dependence

Fracture toughness measurements are critical for materials design and characterization but can be difficult to perform on overlay coatings due to a range of geometric factors and substrate constraints. Thermal spray (TS) coatings bring additional complications to measurement interpretation due to their defected, anisotropic structures. Toughness of free-standing coatings has been studied in the past, and literature results indicate promise in measurement with a range of methods. One of these, single-edge, notched beam (SENB) method offers a straight forward approach for measuring fracture toughness and lends itself well for use with TS coatings. In this work, SENB method is used with deliberate modifications to specific parameters of the test specimens, namely free-standing thickness, notch depth, notch sharpness, and heat treatment state, to ascertain the impact of these modifications on the measurement results for air plasma spray Al2O3. Additionally, two methods adapted from the literature, a modified adhesion method and a tensile elongation method, are evaluated for use with three different Al2O3 coatings, including by air plasma spray, flame spray, and high velocity oxy-fuel processes. Results indicate good correlation between SENB and the modified methods for all three coating variants and give insight into the orientation-dependent toughness properties of TS coatings.

Effects of Ceramic Density and Sintering Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of a Novel Polymer-Infiltrated Ceramic-Network Zirconia Dental Restorative (Filling) Material.

BackgroundPolymer-infiltrated ceramic-network (PICN) dental material is a new and practical development in orthodontics. Sintering is the process of forming a stable solid mass from a powder by heating without melting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sintering temperature on the mechanical properties of a PICN zirconia dental material.Material/MethodsA dense zirconia ceramic and four PICN zirconia dental materials, with varying porosities, were sintered at three different temperatures; 12 PICN zirconia dental materials based on these porous ceramics were prepared, as well as a pure polymer. After the specimen preparation, flexural strength and elastic modulus values were measured using the three-point bending test, and fracture toughness were determined by the single-edge notched beam (SENB) method. The Vickers hardness test method was used with an indentation strength (IS) test. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the microstructure of the ceramic surface and the fracture surface.ResultsMechanical properties of the PICN dental materials, including flexural strength, elastic modulus, fracture toughness, and hardness, were more similar to the properties of natural teeth when compared with traditional dental ceramic materials, and were affected by the density and sintering temperature. SEM showed that the porous ceramic network became cohesive and that the length of cracks in the PICN dental material was reduced.ConclusionsPICN zirconia dental materials were characterized by similar mechanical properties to natural dental tissues, but further studies are required continue to improve the similarities with natural human enamel and dentin.

Evaporation-induced moisture damage of asphalt mixtures: Microscale model and laboratory validation

Moisture damage is a major source of pavement distress and may cause premature failure. In this study, moisture damage due to evaporation was investigated. A microscale finite-element model coupled with comprehensive laboratory testing was developed to simulate and validate the effect of evaporation-induced moisture damage on asphalt mixture load bearing characteristics on indirect tensile (IDT) strength test. In the proposed model, cohesive zone method (CZM) was used to address crack initiation and development at the aggregate-mastic interface. Quadratic nominal strain and BK exponential damage progress curve were considered for failure due to interaction of shear and normal forces. Fick’s first law was incorporated into the model to simulate moisture diffusion in asphalt mixtures after hours of curing with saturated cold evaporation. Several tests were carried out to derive mechanical and moisture-related input parameters for the model. These tests included an static creep test on mastic, single-edge notch beam (SENB) on asphalt mixtures, and an evaporation diffusion coefficient test on aggregates and mastic. Appropriate moisture-dependent properties were assigned to mastic and aggregate-mastic interface. For laboratory validation, nine samples were fabricated and IDT strength test was performed on them. Samples were cured for 192, 456, and 672 h and tested at loading rates of 0.05, 0.075, and 0.1 mm/s. Comparison of load–displacement plots obtained from laboratory tests and model results showed a descent match in terms of peak load and plot shape. Analysis of factors influencing IDT strength revealed that aggregate-mastic adhesion had a higher contribution to strength of samples compared to mastic cohesion.

Load-deflection behavior of fracture toughness testing of ceramics by SEVNB method

This paper aims to explore the load-deflection behavior of fracture toughness testing of ceramics by single-edge V-notched beam (SEVNB) method. The fracture toughness of Si3N4, 3Y-TZP, SiC, and 8Y-FSZ ceramics were measured by SEVNB method and single-edge notched beam (SENB) method, respectively. The load-deflection behavior varies with R-curve behavior of the ceramics, the test methods and the loading conditions. Through comparative analysis, the results show that the actual fracture toughness of ceramics by SEVNB method can be determined by maximum flexure load and the notch length at loading rate of 0.05 mm/min in air. The obtained actual fracture toughness values of Si3N4, 3Y-TZP, SiC, and 8Y-FSZ ceramics are 5.2 ± 0.21, 4.5 ± 0.12, 3.2 ± 0.15, and 1.6 ± 0.07 MPa.m1/2, respectively.

Fracture behaviour of WC-Co hardmetals with WC partially substituted by titanium carbide

The addition of various amounts of TiC0.9 phase in the range from 5wt.% to 20wt.% substituting WC phase was applied in WC-Co hardmetals with 9.5 wt.% bonding cobalt phase. The hardmetals were consolidated using Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) method at temperature of 1573K and pressure of 1500 atm. The plain strain fracture toughness has been determined from 3PB test on a precracking single edge notched beam (SENB) specimen. The indentation fracture toughness with Vickers cracks for comparison was also measured, which changed from 12 to 9.0 MPa·m1/2. The amount of the TiC0.9 phase affected the mechanical and physical properties: Vickers hardness from 12.5 to 14.0 GPa, Young’s modulus from 550 to 460 GPa, density from 13.1 to 9.6 g/cm3, friction coefficient from 0.24 to 0.45, fracture toughness from 16.8 to 11.0 MPa·m1/2. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray and electron diffraction phase analysis were used to examine the WC-Co hardmetal with addition of the TiC0.9 phase. For comparison, physical and mechanical properties of the WC-Co hardmetals before modification were tested.