ZrO2 (3Y) toughened WC composites prepared by spark plasma sintering

•Adding ZrO2 into WC can facilitate sintering, but will not cause rapid WC-grain-growth.•The Palmqvist cracks are observed in the high ZrO2-content grade composites.•The fracture toughness of the WC materials increases from ∼6 to ∼10.6MPam1/2. WC–ZrO2 (3Y) composites were densified by spark plasma s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of alloys and compounds 2013-09, Vol.572, p.62-67
Main Authors: Zheng, Donghai, Li, Xiaoqiang, Li, Yuanyuan, Qu, Shengguan, Yang, Chao
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alloys
Composite materials
Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties
Densification
Elevation
Exact sciences and technology
Fatigue, brittleness, fracture, and cracks
Fracture mechanics
Fracture toughness
Mechanical and acoustical properties
Mechanical and acoustical properties of condensed matter
Mechanical properties of solids
Physical properties of thin films, nonelectronic
Physics
Sintering
Spark plasma sintering
Surfaces and interfaces
thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties)
Toughening
Tungsten carbide
Zirconia
Zirconium dioxide
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Summary:•Adding ZrO2 into WC can facilitate sintering, but will not cause rapid WC-grain-growth.•The Palmqvist cracks are observed in the high ZrO2-content grade composites.•The fracture toughness of the WC materials increases from ∼6 to ∼10.6MPam1/2. WC–ZrO2 (3Y) composites were densified by spark plasma sintering. The influence of ZrO2 content on the densification behavior, microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. Adding ZrO2 into WC can facilitate sintering, but will not cause rapid WC-grain-growth. After sintering, most of the tetragonal ZrO2 remain until at room temperature, and partially transform to monoclinic structure during fracture, which exerts toughening effect. The Palmqvist cracks, rather than half-penny cracks, are observed in the high ZrO2-content grade composites (⩾6wt.%). As the ZrO2 content increases from 0 to 6wt.%, the fracture toughness of the WC materials increases from ∼6MPam1/2 to ∼10.6MPam1/2 with an elevation of ∼77%; while the ZrO2 content continues to increase to 10wt.%, the fracture toughness of the WC–ZrO2 composites is near constant.
ISSN:0925-8388
1873-4669
DOI:10.1016/j.jallcom.2013.03.259