Abstract
As previously reported by the present authors, studies on the strengthening mechanism of hot-isostatically pressed cemented carbides (H.I.P. alloy) had been carried out. In this paper, some properties such as specific gravity, lattice parameter of the binder phase (γ phase), micropores developed, and those Properties affected by vacuumannealing or resintering were investigated in H.I.P. alloy, the results being compared with those of normally-sintered cemented carbides (N.S. alloy).
Results obtained were as follows:1) Specific gravity and lattice parameter in H.I.P. alloy were generally observed to be a little lower and higher, respectively, than those of N.S. alloy, and these properties easily changed towards the values of N. S. alloy by annealing or resintering. 2) Micropores having the diameter less than about 1.5 μφ were observed in H.I.P. alloy, and the numbers were increased by annealing. The transverse-rupture strength, however, was not affected by this increasing numbers. 3)The above mentioned properties of H.I.P. alloy could qualitatively be explained as being caused by the argon gas dissolved in the γ phase of H.I.P. alloy.
