Cobalt (Co) is mainly used to prepare cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and binder metals for WC-Co hard metals. Developing an effective method for recovering Co from WC-Co waste sludge is of immense significance. In this study, Co is extracted from waste cemented carbide soft scrap via mechanochemical milling. The leaching ratio of Co reaches approximately 93%, and the leached solution, from which impurities except nickel are removed by pH titration, exhibits a purity of approximately 97%. The titrated aqueous Co salts are precipitated using oxalic acid and hydroxide precipitation, and the effects of the precipitating agent (oxalic acid and hydroxide) on the cobalt microstructure are investigated. It is confirmed that the type of Co compound and the crystal growth direction change according to the precipitation method, both of which affect the microstructure of the cobalt powders. This novel mechanochemical process is of significant importance for the recovery of Co from waste WC-Co hard metal. The recycled Co can be applied as a cemented carbide binder or a cathode material for lithium secondary batteries.

The pretreatment for substrate was carried out in change of gun pressure of bar using wet blasting. The size of powder was about . As the results, the surface roughness of cemented carbide substrate was improved with increment of gun pressure of wet blasting. A new surface layer was formed and Co particles were uniformly distributed over the entire surface after pretreatment. The adhesion of the pretreated substrate in same PVD-TiAlN film was improved and in approximately shown the best adhesion value.

Through the review of developing course of China cemented carbide industry, the writer of this paper at the first time generalizes it into five stages. The writer analyses China cemented carbide industry present status in aspects of produce technology, product structure, operation and management etc. Mean while by analysis of existed shortages in cemented carbide industry, the write considers that it also has three advantages in resource and scale, industry foundation and categories, market and price, and brought out some suggestion and imagination for the future develpment of China cemented carbide industry.

In recent years, PCB drills with smaller diameters less than 0.1 mm are used and thus there are growing needs for ultra-fine grained cemented carbides. However, ultra-fine WC powder usually causes extraordinary grain growth during sintering which weakens mechanical strength of ultra-fine grained cemented carbides. So we examined several kinds of WC powders to make new ultra-fine grained cemented carbides having superior performance. We found that direct carburized WC powder is very good as a WC raw material. The PCB drills made of the developed ultra-fine grained cemented carbides have higher hardness, toughness and stiffness than conventional ones.

To test the correlation between grain shape and growth behavior we prepared WC-TiC-Co samples with rounded (Ti, W)C grains and faceted WC grains. The growth of rounded (Ti, W)C grains was normal. In contrast, the growth of faceted WC grains was abnormal or suppressed depending on the initial size of WC particles. These observations were explained using growth theories of crystals in a liquid and were also confirmed by a simulation using their growth equations. The present results thus demonstrate that the growth behavior of carbide grains in a liquid is governed only by their shape, irrespective of the presence of another phase.

Development of recycling method at cemented carbide scraps was researched. Some properties of recycled cemented carbides were investigated. Recycled WC fine powder suffered the surface oxidation. Therefore it was necessary to be done by reduction treatment at 1073K-3.6ks under hydrogen atmosphere. When sintering condition at 1673K-3.6ks was treated under vacuum condition, it gained the deflective strength of about 90%, and gained hardness and sintering density about same value compared with commercial alloys. As a result, it was able to recycle only by 7 processes.

To improve the mechanical properties of WC-Co cemented carbides, the dual composite was studied. The compositions of granule and matrix were nano-sized WC-6 wt% Co(granule) and normal sized WC-20 wt% Co(matrix), respectively. The granules were grouped 50, 100 and and mixed with WC and Co powders as the volume fractions of granule to matrix were 50 to 50, 40 to 60 and 30 to 70. These compacts were sintered at for 10 minutes in vacuum. The microstructure, transverse rupture strength and wear resistance were investigated.

WC-TiC-TaC binderless cemented carbide was oxidized under low partial pressure of oxygen (50ppm) at 873K for 1 to 20 h. Surface roughness was measured using atomic force microscope, and effect of TiC amount on oxidation behavior of the carbide was investigated. WC phase was oxidized more easily than WC-TiC-TaC solid solution phase. With an increase in TiC amount, WC-TiC-TaC phase increased and the oxidation resistance of the carbide increased.

During sintering of cemented carbides abnormal grain growth is often observed but cannot be understood from the classical LSW-theory. A model based on 2-D nucleation of new crystalline layers and a grain-size distribution function is formulated and the equations are solved numerically. Experimental studies and computer simulations show that the initial grain size distribution has a strong effect on the grain growth behavior. For example, a fine-grained powder can grow past a coarser powder.

A steel/cemented carbide couple is selected to generate a tough/hard two layers material. Sintering temperature and composition are deduced from phase equilibria, and experimental studies are used to determine optimal conditions. Liquid migration from the hard layer to the tough one is observed. Microstructure evolution during sintering of the tough material (TEM, SEM, image analysis) evidences coupled mechanisms of pore reduction and WC dissolution. Liquid migration, as well as interface crack formation due to differential densification are limited by suitable temperature and time conditions.

The dry-milling technique was used for mixing and crushing oxides and graphite powders. The ratio of ball-to-powder was 30:1 and argon gas was filled in jar. The excess carbon was of the stoichiometric amount. The dry-milling was carried for 20 hours. The mixed powders were reduced and carburized at for 3 hours flowing Ar gas in tube furnace. The dry-milled powders showed the wide diffraction patterns of X-ray. The reactions of reduction and carburization were completed in 3 hours at . After the reactions, the mean size of WC particles was about 200 nm. The content of free carbon in WC/Co mixed powders was less as the reaction temperature increased.