WC-Co Powder Research Articles

In-situ preparation of WC-Co composite powders

WC-6Co and WC-10Co composite powders with uniform distribution of Co phase were successfully prepared using WO3, Co2O3 and carbon black as raw materials by the process of “carbothermal pre-reduction + solid phase carbonization”. The phase evolution as well as the influences of carburizing time and temperature on the morphology and particle size of products were investigated. The results showed that there were two reduction paths for WO3. In one case, the reduction of WO3 was completed in the order of WO3 → W18O49 → WO2 → W and W2C. The other was that WO3 first reacted with Co3O4 to form CoWO4, and then CoWO4 was directly reduced to W and W2C. Combined with the thermodynamic calculation and XRD results, W and W2C preferentially transformed into low-carbon η phase (Co3W9C4 and Co2W4C) rather than WC phase. Subsequently, Co3W9C4 and Co2W4C were transformed into Co3W3C. Finally, the Co3W3C phase was further carbonized to form WC and Co phases. Moreover, the increase of Co content promoted the reduction and carbonization reactions. The morphology and particle size had little change with the extension of carburizing time. However, as the carburizing temperature rose, the particle size of WC increased obviously, and there was a serious agglomeration.

Research on flame characteristics and coating growth process of titanium alloy in HVAF spraying

AbstractIn this work, a flow field model of WC–12Co powder sprayed by high‐velocity air fuel (HVAF) was established based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The macro–micro coupled thermodynamic model of coating multilayer growth process was established based on the birth and death element method. The temperature and velocity of the particles in the combustion flame were applied to the coating growth model, and the transient evolution of the coating temperature and thermal stress was revealed. The results show the temperature and thermal stress of coatings increase with the increasing the number of spraying layers, and their incremental gradient gradually decreases with the increasing the number of deposition layers. The peak temperature of the coating surface reaches 1494 K, and the peak thermal stress of the first coating reaches 2693 MPa. The maximum stress of spraying particles appears at the contact edge of particles. Further preparation of WC coating, through the hardness, friction, and wear, corrosion tests verify that WC–12Co coating can effectively provide the TC18 substrate performance. The microhardness of WC–12Co coating was approximately three times that of TC18 substrate. The average friction coefficient and corrosion rate of the coating are 0.15 and 0.06 mg/cm2/h lower than that of the substrate, respectively.

Effects of zirconium diboride addition on porosity reduction in laser metal deposition of tungsten carbide–cobalt cermet material

Laser metal deposition of tungsten carbide–cobalt (WC-Co) cermet material is a promising means of improving the wear resistance of metal products. However, laser metal deposition of WC-Co has constraints on its practical use because a clad bead of WC-Co often includes numerous gas pores. Earlier studies have found CO gas generation in a molten pool by reaction of carbon and oxygen to be the main cause of gas porosity in a WC-Co clad bead. Preventing the gas reaction is important to obtain clad beads with few pores. The addition of elements with strong affinity for oxygen, such as aluminum, was found to be effective for porosity reduction in a clad bead. However, the addition of highly reactive pure aluminum particles on WC-Co powder presents some difficulties for industrial use. For this study, zirconium diboride (ZrB2), a chemically stable compound, was used as an additive to WC-Co powder. After WC-Co powder with adhered ZrB2 particles was prepared using a wet granulation process, laser metal deposition was conducted. Zirconium stemming from the dissolution of ZrB2 in the molten pool was found to have the effect of trapping oxygen elements as solid zirconium oxides. Consequently, gas generation in the molten pool by the reaction of carbon and oxygen was restrained. Clad beads having few pores and fine microstructures were obtained. Observations of the molten pool behavior taken using a high-speed camera indicated that ZrB2 addition drastically improves process stability compared to processes using conventional WC-Co powder.

Enhancing Tribological Characteristics of Titanium Grade-5 Alloy through HVOF Thermal-Sprayed WC-Co Nano Coatings by TOPSIS and Golden Jack Optimization Algorithm.

Thermal spray coatings have emerged as a pivotal technology in materials engineering, primarily for augmenting the characteristics related to wear and tribology of metallic substrates. This study aimes to delve into applying High-Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) thermalsprayed WC-Co nanocoatings on Titanium Grade-5 alloy (Ti64). The coating process, utilizing nano-sized WC-Co powder, undergoes systematic optimization of HVOF parameters, encompassing the flow rate of carrier gas, powder feed rate, and nozzle distance. Experimental assessments via Pin-on-Disc (PoD) tests encompass Loss of Wear (WL), Friction Coefficient (CoF), and Frictional Force (FF). Later, an exhaustive optimization of responses is conductede using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method and the golden jack optimization algorithm (GJOA). Outcomes show a substantial increase in WL, CoF, and FF with a rise in the carrier gas and powder feed rate. However, with increasing spraying distance of powder, the WL, CoF, and FF tend to lower due to higher bonding, which leads to increased wear resistance. The ideal parametric settings achieved from TOPSIS and GJOA are 245 mm of spray distance, 30 gpm rate of powder feed, and 11 lpm of carrier gas flow rate. The powder feed rate contributes 88.99% to the control action, as seen from ANOVA. The confirmation experiment presents that the WL, CoF, and FF output responses are 42.33, 27.97, and 9.38% less than the mean of experimental data. These results highlight the HVOF process in spraying WC-Co nanocoatings to fortify the durability and performance of Ti64 alloy that can be patented for diverse engineering applications.

Preparation of ultrafine WC-Co powder via fluidized bed

In this paper, the effects of reaction parameters on the deep-reduction and carbonization process of WO2-Co to WC-Co were studied. The results indicate that oxygen loss rate of WO2 is positively correlated with temperature and methane partial pressure. The partial pressure of methane has no significant effect on the formation rate of WC. The carbon content and particle size of the product increase with the increase of CH4 partial pressure. By synergistically regulating the reaction temperature to 950 °C, methane partial pressure to 1.25%, and reaction time to 60 min, ultrafine WC-Co powder without η phase can be obtained. The particle size of the composite powder is 128 nm, with total carbon content of 6.16%, free carbon content of 0.4%, and residual oxygen content of 0.05%, respectively. The growth rate relationship of tungsten carbide is as follows:

Microstructural Evolution, Hardness and Wear Resistance of WC-Co-Ni Composite Coatings Fabricated by Laser Cladding.

This study investigated how process parameters of laser cladding affect the microstructure and mechanical properties of WC-12Co composite coating for use as a protective layer of continuous caster rolls. WC-Co powders, WC-Ni powders, and Ni-Cr alloy powder with various wear resistance characteristics were evaluated in order to determine their applicability for use as cladding materials for continuous caster roll coating. The cladding process was conducted with various parameters, including laser powers, cladding speeds, and powder feeding rates, then the phases, microstructure, and micro-hardness of the cladding layer were analyzed in each specimen. Results indicate that, to increase the hardness of the cladding layer in WC-Co composite coating, the dilution of the cladding layer by dissolution of Fe from the substrate should be minimized, and the formation of the Fe-Co alloy phase should be prevented. The mechanical properties and wear resistance of each powder with the same process parameters were compared and analyzed. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the laser cladding layer depend not only on the process parameters, but also on the powder characteristics, such as WC particle size and the type of binder material. Additionally, depending on the degree of thermal decomposition of WC particles and evolution of W distribution within the cladding layer, the hardness of each powder can differ significantly, and the wear mechanism can change.

A Comparative Study of the Life Cycle Inventory of Thermally Sprayed WC-12Co Coatings

In this research, a life cycle inventory (LCI) is developed for tungsten carbide–cobalt (WC-Co) coatings deposited via atmospheric plasma spray (APS), high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF), and cold gas spray (CGS) techniques. For the APS process, a mixture of Ar/H2 was used, while the HVOF process was fueled by H2. The carrier gas for CGS was N2. This study aims to determine and quantify the inputs (consumption of inputs and materials) and outputs (emissions to air, soil, water, and waste generation) that could be used in the life cycle analysis (LCA) of these processes. The dataset produced will allow users to estimate the environmental impacts of these processes using WC-Co feedstock powder. To obtain a complete and detailed LCI, measurements of electrical energy, gas, WC-CO powder, and alumina powder consumption were performed (the use of alumina was for sandblasting). Furthermore, emissions like carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and noise were also measured. This practice allowed us to determine the input/output process quantities. For the first time, it was possible to obtain LCI data for the APS, HVOF, and CGS deposition processes using WC-12Co as a feedstock powder, allowing access to the LCI data to a broader audience. Comparisons were made between APS, HVOF, and CGS processes in terms of consumption and emissions. It was determined that the APS process consumes more electrical energy and that its deposition efficiency is higher than the other processes, while the HVOF process consumes a large amount of H2, which makes the process costlier. CGS has comparatively low electricity consumption, high N2 consumption, and low deposition efficiency. The APS, HVOF, and CGS processes analyzed in this study do not emit CO, and CO2 emissions are negligible.

Influences of flame remelting and WC-Co addition on microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of NiCrBSi coatings manufactured via HVOF process

We investigated the microstructures, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior of NiCrBSi coatings upon the addition of the WC-Co powder in various amounts (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt%) using the high velocity oxy-fuel process on low-carbon steel. Additionally, flame remelting was performed at 1100 °C for 1 min following thermal spraying of the coatings. The microstructures of the coatings were examined using X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy, and the mechanical properties of the coatings were assessed via Vickers microhardness and ball-on-disk tests. The corrosion behavior of the coatings was evaluated using potentiodynamic polarization testing in a 20 vol.% sulfuric acid solution. The results demonstrated that an increase in the WC-Co amount enhanced the hardness and wear resistance of the coatings. For 10–20 wt% WC-Co addition, small cracks were observed in the as-sprayed coatings owing to the heat applied during thermal spraying and rapid cooling, respectively. The presence of porosity directly affects the corrosion behavior of the coatings. Flame remelting led to better cohesion and the distribution of the γ-Ni and WC phases, reducing microdefects, such as pores and cracks. The mechanical properties of the coatings improved as the WC-Co amount increased after flame remelting, resulting in the formation of intermetallic compounds (FeB, CoSi2, and Ni2Si) along with the WC phase. The flame-remelted NiCrBSi/ 10 wt% WC-Co coating demonstrated high hardness and low wear and corrosion rates (1072.26 HV, 4.8 × 10−6 mm3/m, and 0.560 mm/year, respectively). Therefore, WC-Co addition and the flame remelting process significantly enhanced the properties of NiCrBSi coatings. This study highlights the substantial contributions of WC-Co addition and the flame remelting process in enhancing the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of NiCrBSi coatings. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing the performance of commercially available coatings in various real-world applications in maintaining power plants and industrial components like high-pressure pump piston rods, acid-resistant pumps in oil refineries.

Ultrasound-assisted electrodialytic separation of cobalt from tungsten carbide scrap powder

Recycling of tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC–Co) will considerably grow in the future. Thus, efficient and greener methods for the recovery of the critical raw materials, Co and W, will be necessary. In this work, we evaluate the separation of Co from WC using an electrodialytic (ED) process alone and coupled with ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). The WC-Co powder was suspended in different leaching agents, and the effects of UAE amplitude (probe system), pulse periods, and treatment time were evaluated. The Co extraction was mainly dependent on the leaching agent when only UAE was applied, being more efficient under acidic pH. The ED process, alone and coupled to UAE, was then applied using a reactor with two compartments separated by a cation exchange membrane with nitric acid as anolyte; and the effect of DC intensity was tested for Co separation from WC. Between 24 % and 58 % of Co were solubilized when ED was applied alone, but these values increased up to 96 % through the combination with UAE. The ED process was also applied without the use of nitric acid, taking advantage of the acid generated through water electrolysis, aiming for a more environmentally friendly process. The best Co selective recovery was achieved when ED-UAE was used, reaching 99 % of Co solubilization and 90 % of the total Co electromigration to the cathode compartment, leaving behind the WC residue at the anode. The ED-UAE process presents as a greener process for Co separation from WC residues, with further tests needed to include W recovery.

Mechanism evaluations of conventional and suspended HVOF thermal spraying based on EDC and EDM combustion models

Suspended high-velocity oxygen fuel (SHVOF) thermal spraying technology can spray solid particles with nano or sub-micron scale, and effectively prepare high quality coatings by wrapping solid particles into suspension with solvent. The HVOF and SHVOF processes are numerically simulated in this study. The gas phase and discrete phase were simulated by the bidirectional coupling Euler-Lagrange method. The state equation of ideal gas and realizable k-ε turbulence model were used to simulate gas phase flow. The effect of eddy dissipation model (EDM) and eddy dissipation concept (EDC) model on turbulent combustion reaction was discussed. Due to that EDM model simplifies the Arrhenius rate of different reactions, there are errors in the prediction of spraying combustion process. To solve the problem, the chemical kinetic mechanism of multi-component combustion reaction for the propylene, ethanol and oxygen was introduced in EDC model for the first time in this study. This method has not yet been used in the modeling of thermal spraying. The suspended droplets are a mixture of ethanol and WC-12Co powder. Results show that the atomization and evaporation of suspension significantly disturb the flow field and reduce the internal pressure and temperature of spray gun. Compared with the EDM model, the EDC model can well predict the peak temperature in the combustion chamber, the prediction of particle temperature and velocity is higher, and the temperature and velocity decay are slower during flight. Compared with the median particle size d50 in actual, two combustion models can effectively predict the median particle size after drying, which is the premise of accurately predicting the flight characteristics of particles.

Microstructure, wear and corrosion properties of Cu–SiC/WCCo composite coatings on the Cu substrate surface by plasma spray method

In this study, the microstructure, wear and corrosion properties of Cu–SiC/WCCo composite coatings produced on Cu substrates by plasma spray method were investigated. In order to achieve this aim, SiC and WCCo powders were added to copper at different rates such as 5 %, 10 % and 20 % by weight. In order to determine the microstructure properties and phase distribution of the produced coatings, optical microscope, SEM-EDS and XRD analysis were investigated. The reciprocating wear method was used in order to determine the wear properties and the potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods was used to determine the corrosion properties. The electrical conductivities of the coating layers were performed according to the eddy current principle. XRD analysis results showed that in both coating types, ceramic particles decomposed in the plasma flame and as a result, binary and ternary metallographic phases were formed. There were significant increases in hardness by adding ceramic particles to Cu, especially with 20 % WCCo additive, the hardness obtained was 82 % higher than the Cu substrate. When the wear properties were examined, both abrasive/adhesive wear types were observed in the copper substrate and coating layers. In all samples, material loss increased as the load increased. Both EIS measurements and Tafel curve results showed that the Cu-5% WCCo coating had the best corrosion resistance among the coatings. When the electrical conductivity results of all samples were compared, the electrical conductivity decreased with increasing rate of carbide in the coating.

Effect of processing parameters on microstructure and properties of spherical WC-Co powder by plasma spheroidization

In this study, radio-frequency plasma spheroidization was used to obtain spherical WC-Co powder from granulated WC-Co powder using different parameters. The results show that the spheroidization ratio of the powder first increased and then decreased with an increase in plasma power, whereas the trend of the average particle size is the opposite. The spheroidization ratio of the powder decreased with an increase in the powder feeding rate, whereas the average particle size increased. This also indicates that cobalt loss and WC decomposition occurred during plasma spheroidization. The loss of cobalt increased continuously with increasing plasma power and decreasing powder feeding rate. Black and white particles with significantly different carbon distributions were observed in the spheroidized powder, which were mainly caused by the different degrees of WC decomposition. The flowability and apparent density of the spheroidized WC-Co powder were positively correlated with the ratio of black to white particles.

High Temperature Deformation Behavior and Microstructure Evolution of Harmonic Structure Composites with WC-Co and High Speed Steel

The high-temperature deformation behavior and microstructural changes of harmonic structure composites with WC-Co alloys and high-speed steel (HSS) were investigated in detail. A harmonic structure composite was fabricated by consolidating the mechanically milled powder having WC-Co and HSS powder. The harmonic structure composite demonstrates the microstructure composed of network area (WC-Co) and dispersed area (HSS). The harmonic structure composite shows a sufficient compressive strength in the compression tests at 773 K, but the compression strength decreases at temperatures of above 873 K. The 0.2% proof stress at high temperature almost unchanged even if the network area fraction changed. Furthermore, the network area plays an important role in the high temperature deformation of harmonic structure composites. These results suggest that the formation of voids for WC-Co boundary sliding and poor sintering is an important factor in stress reduction in the high-temperature compression of harmonic structure composites.

Study on the in situ strengthening and toughening mechanism of H13 tool steel/WC-12Co composite using laser-based directed energy deposition

To overcome the unworkability of hot work molds in conventional manufacturing, laser additive manufacturing (AM) is widely adopted to print molds/dies with complex internal structures. However, in the AM process, some hot work steels easily crack (e.g., H11 and H13 tool steel) or exhibit dissatisfactory wear resistance (e.g., MS1 maraging steel). To tackle this issue, toughened functionally graded metal matrix/ceramic composite materials can be fabricated on existing molds by laser directed energy deposition (L-DED). Contrary to previous studies that clad Co on WC to avoid the decomposition of ceramic, in this work, we innovatively utilized a type of WC-12Co powder with a substructure to accelerate its decomposition and improve the toughness of composites. It was found that the unmelted tens-micrometer-magnitude WC-12Co powder and in situ synthesized nano WC coexist in the laser-deposited H13 steel/WC-12Co composites to act as the reinforcement phase. Particularly, all the brittle phases (WC and FexWxC) are wrapped by soft γ phases, alleviating the coefficient of thermal expansion (CET) mismatch between materials and the residual stress generated by laser AM. Consequently, defect-free deposits with varied WC contents are manufactured by L-DED and exhibit high hardness and superior wear resistance at both room and elevated temperatures due to the second phase and grain refinement strengthening mechanisms. These findings provide a disparate metal matrix composite design route for laser additive manufacturing to improve the toughness of metal matrix/ceramic composite materials and obtain exceptional performance.

Effects of WC ratios on bead size and crack initiation in forming WC-Co cemented carbides by the laser metal deposition

Enhancing the durability of molds, jigs, and tools is crucial for the industry, and one approach to achieve this is by forming a metallic layer with high hardness on their surfaces. Metallic layers with high hardness can be formed through laser metal deposition (LMD), which is one of the additive manufacturing processes, using cemented carbide powder. However, crack initiation typically occurs inside cemented carbide layers formed by the LMD. Therefore, achieving a cladding process for cemented carbide layers without cracks is desired for practical applications. In this study, the effects of tungsten carbide (WC) ratios in WC-Co cemented carbide granulated powder on formed bead size and crack initiation during the LMD processing were investigated. The number of cracks generated during the LMD processing was evaluated using an acoustic emission (AE) technique. The number of burst-type AE signals generated was counted as the number of cracks. Seven types of WC-Co cemented carbide granulated powders with WC ratios ranging from 30.5 to 92 mass% were prepared. Beads were formed using each powder through the LMD, with AE signals being measured. In the case of a WC ratio of 42.9 mass% or less, no crack was observed. On the other hand, cracks were observed when the WC ratio was 53.9 mass% or greater, and the number of cracks increased with an increase in the WC ratio.

Investigating the Microscopic Mechanism of Ultrasonic-Vibration-Assisted-Pressing of WC-Co Powder by Simulation.

The ultrasonic-vibration-assisted pressing process can improve the fluidity and the uneven distribution of density and particle size of WC-Co powder. However, the microscopic mechanism of ultrasonic vibration on the powder remains unclear. In this paper, WC particles with diameter 5 μm and Co particles with diameter 1.2 μm were simulated by three-dimensional spherical models with the aid of the Python secondary development. At the same time, the forming process of the powder at the mesoscale is simulated by virtue of the finite element analysis software ABAQUS. In the simulation process, the vibration amplitude was set to 1, 2, and 3 μm. Their influence on the fluidity, the filling density, and the stress distribution of WC-Co powder when the ultrasonic vibration was applied to the conventional pressing process was investigated. The simulation results show that the ultrasonic vibration amplitude has a great influence on the density of the compact. With an increase in the ultrasonic amplitude, the compact density also increases gradually, and the residual stress in the billet decreases after the compaction. From the experimental results, the size distribution of the billet is more uniform, the elastic after-effect is reduced, the dimensional instability is improved, and the density curves obtained by experimentation and simulation are within a reasonable error range.

Mechanism study on the influence of combustion models and spray gun geometric parameters on high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying

HVOF thermal spraying technology has unique advantages for spraying WC-12Co ceramic powder. The spraying process is complex, involving the gas-liquid-solid multiphase flow, chemistry, heat transfer and intelligent control. It is vital to quantitatively reveal the reaction mechanism of combustion components, which optimizes the thermal spraying process and improves the coating quality. A numerical model of HVOF thermal spraying was established, including the gas dynamics model, chemical thermodynamics model and discrete phase model for spraying particle. The difference between the eddy dissipation model (EDM) and EDC model in the traditional calculation was compared. The results show that the EDC model reveal the chemical reaction mechanism of the combustion in detail step by step, and quantitatively display the exothermic phenomenon during whole spraying. The exothermic reaction predicted by the EDC model continues into the air domain with the flame flow. The geometric structure of spray gun was analyzed based on the EDM model. The results show that the diameter of the combustion chamber is 30.2 mm, the diameter of the parallel nozzle is 10.5 mm, and the length from the particle inlet to the nozzle starting point is 13.3 mm, the flight temperature and velocity for particles are relatively high.

Improving the flowability of fine WC-12Co powder using atmospheric pressure nitrogen microwave plasma torch treatment

WC-Co powders are mainly used in thermal spray coatings, which improve corrosion and wear resistance as well as the regeneration capacity of damaged components. The use of fine powders in the thermal spray coating process is essential to form a dense coating layer. However, fine powders possess poor flowability due to their morphology and van der Waals forces between particles. These characteristics limit their application in thermal spray coatings. In this study, a nitrogen microwave plasma torch was applied to WC-12Co powder (D50 = 20 μm) to improve the flowability of the powder. The rough surface of the particle was melted and changed to a smooth, spherical surface. As a result, the flowability of the plasma-treated powder improved significantly from 0 to 4.02 g/s. Thus, a microwave plasma torch improves the flowability of fine WC-12Co powders and is suitable for continuous treatment and mass production of plasma spray powders.

Influence of Dissolved Oxygen Content on the Properties of Aqueous Milled WC-Co Powders

Influence of Dissolved Oxygen Content on the Properties of Aqueous Milled WC-Co Powders

Application of U-FAST Technology in Sintering of Submicron WC-Co Carbides

This article presents the microstructure, hardness, fracture toughness coefficient KIC and phase composition of submicron WC-4Co carbides. The carbides were sintered using the innovative U-FAST (Upgraded Field Assisted Sintering Technology) method, from mixtures of WC-Co powders with an average WC grain size of 0.4 µm and 0.8 µm. The obtained sinters were characterized by a relative density above 99% of the theoretical density. The hardness of the obtained composites was above 2000 HV30, while the KIC coefficient was about 8 MPa m1/2.