Recently, the necessity of designing and applying tool materials that perform machining of difficult-to-cut materials in a cryogenic treatment where demand is increasing. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of cryogenically treated WC-5 wt% NbC hard materials fabricated by a pulsed current activated sintering process. The densely consolidated specimens are cryogenically exposed to liquid nitrogen for 6, 12, and 24 h. All cryogenically treated samples exhibit compressive stress in the sintered body compared with the untreated sample. Furthermore, a change in the lattice constant leads to compressive stress in the specimens, which improves their mechanical performance. The cryogenically treated samples exhibit significant improvement in mechanical properties, with a 10.5 % increase in Vickers hardness and a 60 % decrease in the rupture strength compared with the untreated samples. However, deep cryogenic treatment of over 24 h deteriorates the mechanical properties indicating that excessive treatment causes tensile stress in the specimens. Therefore, the cryogenic treatment time should be controlled precisely to obtain mechanically enhanced hard materials.

Many countries are developing various mechanical cutting technologies to dismantle nuclear facility. However, most of mechanical cutting technologies have a problem like the degradation of tool life due to the Hard-Machining materials. To solve this problem, lab-scale test was performed with a Plasma Assisted Machining (PAM) technology and 25 mm of thickness Inconel 600 plate. Commonly, the strength of metals decreases by exposure at high temperature. And, previous study reported that strength of Inconel 600 is degraded above 500°C. This softening effect was applied to Inconel 600 cutting test. The optimal conditions such as the plasma torch power and the feed rate were determined by this study. As a result, the surface temperature of Inconel 600 was reached up to 500°C under the conditions which is 8.4 kW of plasma torch power and 150–250 mm·min−1 of feed rate. And it was confirmed that the tool life was improved under the conditions. In order to apply PAM for various Hard- Machining materials, it is necessary to investigate the softening temperature of Hard-Machining materials, the plasma torch power and feed rate.

In this study, binderless-WC, WC-6 wt%Co, WC-6wt% 1 and 2.5 B4C materials are fabricated by spark plasma sintering process (SPS process). Each fabricated WC material is almost completely dense, with a relative density up to 99.5 % after the simultaneous application of pressure of 60 MPa. The WC added Co and Co-B4C materials resulted in crystalline growth. The WC with HCP crystal structure has respective interfacial energy (basal facet direction: 1.07 ~ 1.34 J·m−2, prismatic direction: 1.43 ~ 3.02 J·m−2) that depends on the grain growth direction. It is confirmed that the continuous grain growth, biased by the basal facet, which has relatively low energy, is promoted at the WC/Co interface. As abnormal grain growth takes place, the grain size increases more than twice from 0.37 to 0.8 um. It is found through analysis that the hardness property also greatly decreases from about 2661.4 to 1721.4 kg/mm2, along with the grain growth.

Expensive PCBN or ceramic cutting tools are used for processing of difficult-to-cut materials such as Ti and Ni alloy materials. These tools have the problem of breaking easily due to their high hardness but low fracture toughness. To solve these problems, cutting tools that form various coating layers are used in low-cost WC-Co hard material tools, and research on various tool materials is being conducted. In this study, binderless-WC, WC-6 wt%Co, WC-6 wt%Co-1 wt% Mo2C, and WC-6 wt%Co-2.5 wt% Mo2C hard materials are densified using horizontal ball milled WC-Co, WC-Co-Mo2C powders, and spark plasma sintering process (SPS process). Each SPSed Binderless-WC, WC-6 wt%Co-1 wt% Mo2C, and WC-6 wt%Co- 2.5 wt% Mo2C hard materials are almost completely dense, with relative density of up to 99.5 % after the simultaneous application of pressure of 60 MPa and almost no significant change in grain size. The average grain sizes of WC for Binderless- WC, WC-6 wt%Co-1 wt% Mo2C, and WC-6 wt%Co-2.5 wt% Mo2C hard materials are about 0.37, 0.6, 0.54, and 0.43 μm, respectively. Mechanical properties, microstructure, and phase analysis of SPSed Binderless-WC, WC-6 wt%Co-1 wt% Mo2C, and WC-6 wt%Co-2.5 wt% Mo2C hard materials are investigated.

Expensive PCBN or ceramic cutting tools are used for the processing of difficult-to-cut materials such as Ti and Ni alloy materials. These tools have a problem of breaking easily due to their high hardness but low fracture toughness. To solve this problem, cutting tools that form various coating layers are used in low-cost WC-Co hard material tools, and researches on various tool materials are being conducted. In this study, WC-5, 10, and 15 wt%Ni hard materials for difficult-to-cut cutting materials are densified using horizontal ball milled WC-Ni powders and pulsed current activated sintering method (PCAS method). Each PCASed WC–Ni hard materials are almost completely dense, with a relative density of up to 99.7 ~ 99.9 %, after the simultaneous application of pressure of 60 MPa and electric current for 2 min; process involves almost no change in the grain size. The average grain sizes of WC and Ni for WC-5, 10, and 15 wt%Ni hard materials are about 1.09 ~ 1.29 and 0.31 ~ 0.51 μm, respectively. Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of WC-5, 10, and 15 wt%Ni hard materials are about 1,923 ~ 1,788 kg/mm2 and 13.2 ~ 14.3 MPa.m1/2, respectively. Microstructure and phase analyses of PCASed WC-Ni hard materials are performed.

Tungsten carbide (WC) hard materials are used in various industries and possess a superior hardness compared to other hard materials. They have particularly high melting points, high strength, and abrasion resistance. Accordingly, tungsten carbide hard materials are used for wear-resistant tools, cutting tools, machining tools, and other tooling materials. In this study, the WC-5wt.%Co, Fe, Ni hard materials are densified using the horizontal ball milled WC-Co, WC-Fe, and WC-Ni powders by a spark plasma sintering process. The WC-5Co, WC-5Fe, and WC-5Ni hard materials are almost completely densified with a relative density of up to 99.6% after simultaneous application of a pressure of 60 MPa and an electric current for about 15 min without any significant change in the grain size. The average grain size of WC-5Co, WC-5Fe, and WC-5Ni that was produced through SPS was about 0.421, 0.779, and 0.429 μm, respectively. The hardness and fracture toughness of the dense WC-5Co, WC-5Fe, WC-5Ni hard materials were also investigated.

Significant advances in mechanical testing for hard materials are discussed in this paper. There are three specific areas that are covered. In the measurement of fracture toughness factors such as the control of slow crack growth to produce strating cracks, and evaluating reproducibility and repeatability of tests have been recently examined. The miniaturization of tests reduces the amount of material that is used in testing, improves the throughput of tests, and also improves cost effectiveness. New techniques such as stepwise testing and micro scratch testing have contributed to significant additions to the knowledge of the wear mechanisms that operate in these materials.

새로운 급속소결방법인 고주파유도가열 소결법과 펄스전류활성 소결법을 이용하여 습식 볼밀링으로 혼합한 WC-8wt.%Co분말에 60MPa의 압력과 90%의 고주파출력 또는 2800A의 필스전류를 가하여 상대밀도가 98.6% 이상인 초경재료를 2분이내의 짧은 시간에 제조하였다. 초기의 WC분말의 입도가 미세해짐에 따라 고주파유도가열 소결법과 펄스전류활성 소결법 모두 소결시간이 단축되는 경향을 보였으며 그 소결체의 결정립 크기도 감소하였다. 고주파유도가열 소결

급속소결방법인 고주파유도가열 소결법과 펄스전류활성 소결법을 이용하여 습식 볼밀링으로 혼합한 WC-8wt.%Ni분말에 60MPa의 압력과 고주파유도가열장치의 경우 전체 용량 (15kw)의 90%에 해당하는 고주파출력을, 펄스전류활성 소결장치의 경우 2800A의 펄스전류를 가하여 치밀한 소결체를 2분이내의 짧은 시간에 제조하였다. WC 초기입자크기가 증가함에 따라 제조된 소결체의 입자크기와 평균자유행로는 증가하였다. 또한 WC 결정립 크기가 증가함에 따라

(1) Using high-frequency induction heating sintering and spark plasma sintering method, the densification of WC-Ni hard materials was accomplished using ultra fine power of Ni and WC. (2) Nearly fully dense WC-Ni could be obtained within 1 min. (3) Relative density and mechanical properties of WC-Ni obtained by HFIHS were high than those obtained by SPS. And WC grain size made by HFIHS was smaller than that made by SPS. (4) The fracture toughness and hardness values of WC-8Ni, WC-10Ni, and WC-12Ni made by HFIHS were , respectively for 60MPa and an induced current for 90% output of total capacity, 15KW. (5) The fracture toughness and hardness values of WC-8Ni, WC-10Ni, and WC-12Ni made by SPS were , respectively for 60MPa and the electric current of 2500 A

Using a developed high-frequency induction heated combustion method. the simultaneous synthesis and densification of WC-xvol.%Co() hard materials was accomplished using elemental powders of W, C and Co. A complete synthesis and densification of the materials was achieved in one step within a duration of 1min. The final relative densities of the composite were over 98.5% for all cases, under the applied pressure of 60 MPa and the induced current. The hardness of the composites decreases and the fracture toughness increases with increasing cobalt content. As the carbon to tungsten ration increases, the hardness increase, but the fracture toughness decreases. The maximum values for the fracture toughness and hardness are 15.1 (at 20vol.%Co, W:C=1:1), and 1928 (at 5vol.%Co, W:C=1:1.3), respectively. Therefore we concluded that the HFIHCS method. which can produce WC-xvol.%Co within 1 minute in one step is superior to conventional ones.

1) Using a developed high-frequency induction heated sintering method, the rapid densification of WC-Co hard materials was accomplished using ultra fine powders with 260 nm size within 1 minute. 2) The relative density of the composite was 99.5% for the applide pressure of 60MPa and the induced current for 90% output of total capacity. 3) The grain size of WC-Co hard materials is about 260nm and the average thickness of the binder phase determined is about 11nm. The fracture toughness and the hardness of this work 12 , respectively. 4) Using pressureless sintering, we produced dense WC-Co hard materials with a relative density of 97% without applying pressure.

WC and dense WC-10 vol%Co materials with grain size of~1 were synthesized by high-frequency induction heated combustion synthesis (HFIHCS) method in one step from elemental powders of W, C and Co within several minutes. Simultaneous combustion synthesis and densification were accomplished under the combined effects of an induced current and mechanical pressure. In the absence of cobalt additive, WC can be formed, but its relative density was low (about 73%) under simultaneous application of a 60 MPa pressure and the induced current. However, in the presence of 10 vol.%Co, the relative density increased to 99% under the same experimental condition. The percentages of the total shrinkage occurring before and during the synthesis reaction of WC-10 vol.%Co were 5% and 51%, respectively. The fracture toughness and hardness values of WC-10 vol.%Co were 10 MPa . m and 1840 kg/, respectively.

Hard materials such as hardmetal, coated hardmetal, cermet, ceramics and diamond or c-BN sintered compact are a kind of grain-dispersed alloy with high volume of hard particles. These are used for cutting tools, wear-resistant tools, rock bits, high pressure apparatus, etc. The annual production in Japan is about 1.7 billion dollars (200 billion yen). This is greatly owed to the development in science and technology which has been accomplished by applying new concepts such as fine or uniform grain microstructure, orientation of crystal grains, functionally graded material, artificial lattice and coherent bonding in recent years. In this review, the development in recent years in Japan is briefly summarized.