T Dependence of the Mechanical Properties on the Microstructural Parameters of WC-Co

Abstract

Abstract The effect of binder content and WC grain size on the mechanical properties is widely investigated in literature. An increase in binder amount and WC grain size leads to a decrease in hardness and an increase in fracture toughness. Actually, these correlations are related to the influence of binder content and WC grain size through the contiguity and mean binder free path, which are the microstructural parameters that affect the mechanical properties. The aim of this study is to verify the dependence of the two microstructural parameters that govern the WCCo mechanical behaviour, namely the contiguity and mean binder free path, on the mechanical properties of an extended range of WC-Co samples, which differ in terms of Co content and tungsten carbide grain size.