Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of TiB₂–WC Composites

Abstract

ABSTRACT

An experimental study for obtaining a high performance ceramics of titanium diboride and tungsten carbide composites (TBWC) are described. WC content 10 to 90 volume percent tungsten was examined. The TBWC is inexpensive and can be fabricated by a hotpress-sintering process. The TBWC with density 95 % and above of the theoretical value were obtained using constituent powder of micron size by hotpress sintering. The TBWC thus obtained consists of four phases which are (Ti, W)B₂, (W, Ti)C and 2 types of (W, Ti)B. Unlike porycrystalline diamond and cBN compacts, in which the intrinsic hardness or strength of the constituents is utilized, it seems that the TBWC is basically hardened or strengthend by solution hardening or dispersion strengthening mechanisms. Those mechanisms were confirmed by metallography, X-ray diffraction, electron probe microanalysis and mechanical tests.