Thermophysical Properties Of Hardmetals In Dependence On Used Carbide And Binder Phase Composition

Alternative compositions of hardmetals with hard phases other than WC and binder phases other than Co are more and more interesting due to both CRM (critical raw materials) and CMR (carcinogenic mutagenic reprotoxic) issues. So far, a basic understanding how other hard phases or binder phases influence the thermophysical properties is not known. To address this question hardmetals with similar grain size and amount of metallic binder but different chemical composition are prepared and their magnetic properties as well as the electrical and heat conductivity/thermal diffusivity are analysed. Next to a reference straight tungsten carbide-cobalt grade (WC-Co), other compositions are niobium carbide-cobalt (NbC-Co), a high entropy carbide-cobalt (HEC-Co) and to study alternatives binders WC-Fe-based and WC-HEA (high entropy alloy).