WEAR BEHAVIOR AND TOOL LIFE OF MODIFIED WC-BASED CEMENTED CARBIDES

The alloy design of WC-10 Co cemented carbides by adding hard phases like TiC/TiN and modifying the binder phase with nickel and molybdenum has been highlighted by the authors elsewhere. The present investigation was aimed at evaluating performance of such cemented carbides in steel cutting. Addition of TiC/TiN improved the crater wear resistance and tool life of WC-10 Co cemented carbide, the improvement being better with TiN additions compared with TiC. Binder phase composition was important in controlling the microstructure and mechanical properties of the tool materials, which had a direct influence on cutting performance. The results were analyzed in terms of microstructure and various properties, viz., hardness, transverse rupture strength, oxidation resistance, and thermal shock resistance, which have a bearing on tool life.