Microstructure, thermal stability and mechanical properties of the novel (W1−xAlx)C–Co (x = 0.2, 0.33, 0.4, 0.5) cemented carbide

Bulk novel cemented carbides (W1−xAlx)C–10.1 vol% Co (x = 0.2, 0.33, 0.4, 0.5) are prepared by mechanical alloying and hot-pressing sintering. Hot-pressing (HP) is used to fabricate the bulk bodies of the hard alloys. The novel cemented carbides have good mechanical properties compared with WC–Co. The density and operating cost of the novel material is much lower than a WC–Co system. The material is easy to process and the processing leads to nano-scaled, rounded, particles in the bulk material. The hardness of (W1−xAlx)C–10.1 vol% Co (x = 0.2, 0.33, 0.4, 0.5) hard material is 20.37, 21.16, 21.59 and 22.16 GPa, and the bending strength is 1257, 1238, 1211 and 1293 MPa, with the aluminum content varying from 20% to 50%. The relationship between the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the novel hard alloy is also discussed.