WEAR BEHAVIOR AND TOOL LIFE OF MODIFIED WC-BASED CEMENTED CARBIDES

The alloy design of WC-10 Co cemented carbides by adding hard phases l ike TiC/TiN and modifying the binder phase with nickel and molybdenum has been highlighted by the authors elsewhere. The present investigati on was aimed at evaluating performance of such cemented carbides in st eel cutting. Addition of TiC/TiN improved the crater wear resistance a nd tool life of WC-10 Co cemented carbide, the improvement being bette r with TiN additions compared with TiC. Binder phase composition was i mportant in controlling the microstructure and mechanical properties o f the tool materials, which had a direct influence on cutting performa nce. The results were analyzed in terms of microstructure and various properties, viz., hardness, transverse rupture strength, oxidation res istance, and thermal shock resistance, which have a bearing on tool li fe.