The behavior of hardmetals under cyclic loads is investigated. Unnotched specimens were employed to obtain practical information regarding fatigue in hardmetals. All the tested hardmetals exhibit an increase in the number of cycles until failure with a decrease in the maximum stress, i.e., the hardmetals exhibit a high fatigue sensitivity. The fatigue strength increases with the cobalt content. Although distinct fatigue limits, as observed in metals, cannot be observed, the calculated fatigue limit stress at cycles is found to be approximately 70% of the flexural strength, and the stress value exhibits a linear relationship with the flexural stress.

In order to develop the nano-sized WC powder that improved the hardness of hardmetals, carbothermal reduction of WO3 by C was examined by using the thermogravimetric analysis. At the direct carburization reaction path of , the nano-sized grain was generated at the reaction stage to and W. For trial production, the intermediate products which consists of metal and carbide phases obtained by the first heating has been carburized to the final WC powder. We succeeded in the development of the WC powder of about 70nm. In addition, the nano-sized WC powder in which the vanadium of the most effective grain growth inhibitor was uniformly dispersed was developed.

The characteristics of various important microstructural factors of WC-base hard- metals (cemented carbides) such as the amount of Co metal binder phase, the carbide grain size, the microstructural defects acting as a fracture source, the solid solubility of tungsten in the binder phase affected by the carbon content, the precipitation of , the domain size of binder phase, the formation of layer or Co-rich layer and CVD or PVD coated layer, and the effects of these factors on the flexural strength of the hardmetals are reviewed.