Abstract
It was recently found by the present authors that, when WC-βt-Co alloy (βt=WC/TiC/TaC s.s.) was sintered by using Co powder and βt powder supersaturated with WC (named βt(E) powder), sheet-like WC phases crystallized in the structure during sintering. The βt(E)-Co mixed powder was sintered and then hot-pressed to get anisotropic WC-βt-8mass%Co alloy specimens having the stratified structure of sheet-like WC. Some properties such as mechanical properties, cutring performance, etc. of the above alloy were investigated.
The sheet of WC, its surface orientation being coincided with (0001) planes of WC, became parallel to the specimen surface perpendicular to the hot-pressing direction with increasing reduction in thickness. The surface hardness and transverse-rupture strength of specimen were higher than those of usually isotropic alloy. The crack propagation across the sheet-like WC was greatly checked. The edge strength of cutting tools was improved considerably. The phenomena above mentioned were discussed in detail.
