Articles
  • Properties and rapid consolidation of wc-based hard materials with various binders by a pulsed current activated sintering method
  • In-Jin Shona,b,* , In-Kyoon Jeonga, Jeong-Hwan Parka,b, Kee-Seok Namc, Ki-Tae Leea,b and Kee-Do Wooa,b
  • a Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, the Research Center of Industrial Technology, Chonbuk National University, 664-14 Deokjin-dong 1-ga, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea b Department of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Engineering, Specialized Graduate School, Chonbuk National University, 664-14 Deokjin-dong 1-ga, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea c Korea Institute of Materials Science 531 Changwondaero, Changwon, Gyeongnam, 641-831, Korea
Abstract
Using a pulsed current activated sintering (PCAS) method, the densification of WC-10 wt.% binder (Co, Ni, Fe) hard materials were accomplished within 2 minutes. The advantage of this process is not only rapid densification to near theoretical density but also the prohibition of grain growth in nano-structured materials. Highly dense WC-binder (Co, Ni, Fe) composites with a relative density of up to 99% were obtained within 2 minutes by PCAS under a pressure of 60MPa. The average grain size of the WC-10 wt.% Co composite was about 500 nm. The hardness and fracture toughness of the dense WC-10 wt.% binder (Co, Ni, Fe) composites produced by PCAS were also investigated.

Keywords: Metal-matrix composites, Sintering, Hardness, Fracture Toughness

This Article

  • 2008; 9(5): 512-516

    Published on Oct 31, 2008