TiC/TiCN-based hard material with high oxidation resistance at high temperature

TiC/TiCN-based cermet is a candidate material for alternatives to WC-Co used in tools and dies. Typically, Ni and Co are used as metal binders of TiC/TiCN-based cermets. Being types of rare metals, it is therefore desired that these metal binders be replaced with the ubiquitous materials. Iron aluminide (FeAl) intermetallic compound is a candidate material for an alternative rare metal binder made from ubiquitous materials. FeAl is well known as an extremely corrosion-resistant material under oxidizing atmospheres, sulphidizing atmospheres, and in molten salts. Although TIC/TiCN-FeAl is a combination of intermetallic compound and carbide with very high hardness, it is brittle. TiC/TiCN-FeAl was processed through wet milling and pulsed electric current pressure sintering to improve mechanical properties, thus improving transverse rupture strength while keeping hardness intact. In this work, we attempted to improve the oxidation resistance performance of TiC/TiCN-FeAl at high temperature by changing raw materials.