Enhanced toughness of titanium carbonitride-based cermets by addition of (Ti,W)C carbides

Ti(CN)-based cermet is a potential alternative to WC-Co for cutting applications. We attempted to improve the mechanical properties of Ti(CN)-based cermets by adding (Ti0.88W0.12)C and (Ti0.88W0.12)(C0.7N0.3). The (Ti0.88W0.12)C phase decreased the number of Ti(CN) cores more effectively than (Ti0.88W0.12)(C0.7N0.3) and thus improved toughness was obtained. The binder phase fractions were altered substantially by the kind of carbides. In particular, the presence of N in (Ti0.88W0.12)(C0.7N0.3) increased the binder fractions and refined the microstructure of Ti(CN) cermets significantly. However, the increase in the binder faction provided a limited improvement in toughness in the systems of study.