THE SHAPE OF WC CRYSTALS IN CEMENTED CARBIDES

A study has been made of the shape development of WC crystals in cemen ted carbides during liquid phase sintering. The relative influence of shape relaxation and carbide crystal growth processes on the shape is discussed. An effect of titanium additions on the shape of WC crystals in WC-Ni cemented carbides was observed. A shape parameter referred t o as shape equiaxiality has been defined and calculated theoretically for various triangular prisms. The observed change of shape equiaxiali ty with titanium concentration in the binder phase of WC-NI cemented c arbides is discussed in terms of titanium segregation at the interphas e boundary. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.