Effect of heat-treatment of in-situ synthesized composite powder on properties of sintered cemented carbides

The present study was focused on the subsequent heat-treatment of the in-situ synthesized WC–Co composite powder and its effect on the properties of the cemented carbides prepared by sinter-HIP. The element composition, phase constitution, microstructure characteristics and properties of the prepared cemented carbides were analyzed quantitatively. The heat-treatment of the composite powder before sintering plays a significant role in the characteristics of the microstructure and properties of the WC–Co bulk material. The optimized heat-treatment parameters for the composite powder were obtained, from which the excellent combination mechanical properties were achieved for the sintered WC–Co bulk material.