Wear resistance of nanostructured Cr-based WC hardmetals sintered by spark plasma sintering. (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Deng, Xiangxing; Cinca, Núria; Garbiec, Dariusz; Torralba, José Manuel; García-Junceda, Andrea
• Is Part Of: International journal of refractory metals & hard materials. Volume 86(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: Cr-based WC hardmetals -- Nanocrystalline -- Spark plasma sintering -- Dry sliding wear -- Wear resistance; Heat resistant alloys -- Periodicals; Refractory materials -- Periodicals; Metallography -- Periodicals; Alliages réfractaires -- Périodiques; Matériaux réfractaires -- Périodiques; Métallographie -- Périodiques; Heat resistant alloys; Metallography; Refractory materials; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 669.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2019.105092
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0263-4368

Abstract

Abstract: Nanostructured Cr-based WC hardmetals are successfully sintered by spark plasma sintering. The wear behaviour of these Cr-based WC hardmetals with different C contents ranging from 5.57 wt% to 6.91 wt%, is evaluated performing sliding wear tests under two different wear conditions. This work analyses the influence of the C content on the wear performance through the study of the phase formation and WC grain size. The Cr-based hardmetal with 5.57 wt% C content exhibits a lower wear rate than Co-based WC hardmetals tested under similar dry ball-on-plate wear conditions, even considering that these Co-based WC hardmetals have higher WC content (90 wt%) than Cr-based WC hardmetals (83.2 wt%). The combination of a nanosized WC grain and the avoidance of brittle (Cr, Fe)7 C3 or soft graphite phases leads to a superior wear performance. Thus, the use of Cr-based binders in the hardmetal industry, alternatively to Co-based binders, is promising in applications in which high wear resistance is needed. Highlights: The paper investigates the wear behaviour of nanocrystalline Cr-based WC hardmetals sintered by spark plasma sintering. Cr-based hardmetals have achieved a superior wear resistance than Co-based WC hardmetals under a similar testing conditions. Cr-based WC hardmetals have a bright future in the cutting tool industry due to their high wear resistance and low cost.