Nanostructured Sintered WC-Co Hard Metals (Review)

Production processes for fine powders of tungsten, tungsten carbide, and WC-Co and sintering methods for nanosized WC-Co hard metals are reviewed. The properties, structure, and applications of nanosized WC-Co hard metals described in the literature are analyzed. It is established that, regardless of the process, the mandatory requirements for the production of fine hard metals are: (i) purity of starting materials, (ii) precise compliance with the process procedure, and (iii) careful control at all production stages, which exclude unwanted phases and defects in the structure.