Comparison of hard metals fabricated by electrical resistance sintering (ERS) and sinter-HIP

This work presents the microstructural characterization and properties of WC-Co hardmetals obtained by ERS (Electrical Resistance Sintering) compared to conventionally sintered material. The new ERS method to obtain cutting tools is being developed within the EFFIPRO project. Thanks to the short processing time, this novel sintering technology will enable an important reduction of energy consumption contrary to traditional furnace sintering methods. In order to study the microstructures and homogeneity of the WC-Co materials, optical and electron microscopy combined with X-ray and magnetic measurements were performed. In addition, mechanical properties (hardness and toughness) of the materials were analysed at different parts of the samples. The results show that relevant parts of ERS processed samples reveal finer microstructures and higher hardness than the conventionally sintered ones.