Influences of Ultrafine Ti(C, N) on the Sintering Process and Mechanical Properties of Micron Ti(C, N)-Based Cermets

Abstract

For investigating the influence mechanism underlying ultrafine Ti(C, N) within micron Ti(C, N)-based cermets, three cermets including diverse ultrafine Ti(C, N) contents were employed. In addition, for the prepared cermets, their sintering process, microstructure, and mechanical properties were systematically studied. According to our findings, adding ultrafine Ti(C, N) primarily affects the densification and shrinkage behavior in the solid-state sintering stage. Additionally, material-phase and microstructure evolution were investigated under the solid-state stage from 800 to 1300 °C. Adding ultrafine Ti(C, N) enhanced the diffusion and dissolution behavior of the secondary carbide (Mo2C, WC, and (Ta, Nb)C) under a lower sintering temperature of 1200 °C. Further, as sintering temperature increased, adding ultrafine Ti(C, N) enhanced heavy element transformation behaviors in the binder phase and accelerated solid-solution (Ti, Me) (C, N) phase formation. When the addition of ultrafine Ti(C, N) reached 40 wt%, the binder phase had increased its liquefying speed. Moreover, the cermet containing 40 wt% ultrafine Ti(C, N) displayed superb mechanical performances.