Influence of the process temperature of spark plasma sintering on micorsturcture and nanoindentation hardness/Young's modulus of WC-8wtCo

摘要

WC-8wt%Co nanopowder was consolidated by spark plasma sintering at process temperatures (Tsps) from 1100 to 1400 °C. The nanoindentation hardness and Young's modulus of the consolidated specimens were measured under different peak load levels (P_(max))- The hardnesses and modulus of WC-8wt% Co shows a clear dependence on the microstructures and peak load levels. At 1200 and 1300 °C, the hardness and modulus were higher than those at 1100 and 1400 °C due to the higher relative density and fine grain size. The relationship of stiffness (S) and contact depth (hc) of nanoindentation was discussed.