Evaluation of the surface strength of WC-Co alloy by a micro slurry-jet erosion (MSE) test - Discussion on erosion mechanism by debris analysis

摘要

WC-Co alloys have been widely used as cutting and mold tools due to their high level of hardness, but their surface damage resistances are difficult to evaluate swiftly by conventional methods. The objective of this study is to elucidate the erosion mechanism of the WC-Co alloy which occurred in a developed solid particle impact test (MSE test). In this report, WC-Co alloys with different Co contents and WC grain size were tested. In addition, the erosion debris in MSE tests were analyzed by SEM and EDX observations. As a result, it was determined that there exist several fracture modes in the erosion of the WC-Co alloy. It was concluded that the MSE test can evaluate the surface strength related with the fracture modes of WC-Co alloys.