Consolidation of ultra fine WC-Co hard materials by a spark plasma sintering method and their mechanical properties

摘要

Using the spark plasma sintering method, WC-6 wt.%Co hard materials were densified using an ultra fine WC-Co powder. The WC-Co was almost completely dense with a relative density of up to 100% after the simultaneous application of a pressure of 60 MPa and an electric current for 12 minutes without any significant change in the grain size. The average grain size of WC that was produced through SPS was about 270 nm. The hardness and fracture toughness of the dense WC-Co composites were also investigated.