Effect of W content in solid solution on properties and microstructure of (Ti,W)C-Ni3Al cermets

• (Ti1-xWx)C solid solutions were synthesized by carbothermal reduction.
• (Ti,W)C-Ni3Al cermets were prepared through powder metallurgy route.
• The increase of W can improve wetting and densification significantly.
• (Ti,W)C-Ni3Al cermets showed a weak core-rim structure particles embedded in binder.
• Wetting behavior were discussed from valence-electron configurations of carbides.

(Ti1-xWx)C solid solutions (x = 0.05, 0.15, 0.25, 0.35) were synthesized by carbothermal reduction and then were used as hard phases to prepare (Ti,W)C-Ni3Al cermets by vacuum sintering. (Ti,W)C-Ni3Al cermets showed weak core-rim structure carbide particles embedded in Ni3Al binder. As W content in (Ti,W)C increased, core-rim structure of carbide particles got weaker and the contrast of particles lowered down in SEM-BSE morphologies. Furthermore, the densification of cermets was promoted with W content in solid solution increasing, meanwhile TRS and toughness of cermets were improved obviously. In this paper, the wettability of molten metal on different group transition metal carbides was discussed in detail based on valence-electron configurations (VECs) of carbides.