CHARACTERIZATION OF DIFFERENT WC-Co CEMENTED-CARBIDE TOOLS

Abstract

This paper deals with the characterization of three different commercial, WC-Co cemented-carbide tools in the form of saw blades, one group of which exhibits more frequent cracking. Since the properties of these materials largely depend on the microstructure, a detailed characterization was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SEM image analysis included a determination of the binder content and the mean WC grain area. The average chemical composition of these materials was also determined using an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyser. The results show that despite the same content of binder-forming elements in all three WC-Co cemented-carbide materials, the material that cracked more frequently contained a smaller amount of binder and a lower mean WC grain area, both of which are known to reduce the toughness of such a material.