Numerical simulation of kinetics of the cobalt gradient change in WC–Co during liquid phase sintering

During liquid phase sintering, WC–Co composite is a solid–liquid two-phase system in which the inter-particle spaces between solid WC grains are filled with liquid Co. When there exists heterogeneity with respect to cobalt content within the composite, liquid Co tends to migrate from regions with higher Co content to other regions with lower Co content, thus causing the redistribution of Co within the WC–Co composite. The kinetics of Co redistribution are of great practical importance for the liquid phase sintering of functionally graded WC–Co composite materials. This paper describes numerical simulations of the kinetic process of Co redistribution, demonstrating how the Co gradient in a WC–Co composite changes with time under various conditions.