Effect of WC/Mo2C ratio on the erosion behavior of Ti(C,N)-based cermets

• Ti(C,N)-based cermets with different WC/Mo2C ratio are prepared.
• WC/Mo2C ratio affects the microstructure, mechanical property and erosion behavior.
• Cermet with 5 wt.% WC and 5 wt.% Mo2C has the best erosion resistance.
• Properties of rim and binder strengthening affect erosion behavior.

In this paper, Ti(C,N)-based cermets of different WC/Mo2C were prepared and the effect of WC/Mo2C ratio on the microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated. The erosion behavior of cermets was tested in a slurry containing 5 wt.% NaCl and 5 wt.% Al2O3 particles. The results indicate that the changes of WC/Mo2C ratio have no obvious effect on average grain size, but the homogeneity of hard phase, hardness and porosity decrease slightly with the increase of the ratio. The cermets with 5 wt.% WC and 5 wt.% Mo2C exhibit the best erosion resistance, which can be attributed to the enhanced strength of rim. Additionally, excessive WC makes the rim too brittle to subject the repetitive mechanical loads. The solid solution strengthening plays an important role in the erosion resistance of the binder phase. The binder with Mo2C addition has a better erosion resistance than that of WC.