Enhanced high temperature mechanical properties of WC-Co cemented carbides by VC addition

WC-Co cemented carbide are widely used in industries for cutting tool due to their excellent hardness, fracture strength and wear resistance, but the high temperature mechanical properties and thermal conductivity limits their application under harsh service conditions. In this research, the effect of VC on microstructure, high-temperature mechanical properties, and thermal conductivity of WC-10Co-0.8Cr3C2 was investigated. Outstanding high-temperature mechanical properties were obtained at 0.2 wt% VC, with the transverse rupture strength of 2170 MPa, the fracture toughness of 17.78 MPa·m1/2 and the hardness of 1370HV5 at 800 °C, which are better than most of the common used WC-10Co cemented carbides. More importantly, the thermal conductivity was almost unaffected by the addition of VC. This work shows a new perspective on preparing WC-Co cemented carbide with excellent cutting potential.