Synthesis And Properties Of Wcco/Diamond Composite For Uses As Tool Material For Wood-Based Material Machining

Intensive development of furniture industry results in the need to produce tolls with increasingly better properties which allow to increase production efficiency. One of the prospective paths of development of blades for machining wood-based materials are the WCCo composites with dispersed diamond particles. Cemented carbide matrix of composites will ensure high resistance to abrasive wear and brittle fracture whereas the diamond particles - high hardness. The study investigated the effect of amount of diamond to density, micro-structure and phase composition of the WCCo/diamond composites obtained by the prototype PPS (Pulse Plasma Sintering) method. The composites were consolidated at temperature 1100 degrees C, under vacuum. Density measurements were carried out by means of Archimedes method, the phase composition - by XRD method, whereas the observations of the micro-structure were carried out with the use of SEM microscope. Observation of diamond - WCCo matrix boundary was carried out by means of high-resolution electron microscopy. The tests revealed that the higher the diamond content, the lower density of the sinters. Composites with 30% vol. of diamond were characterized by higher density. XRD analysis showed occurrence of three phases: C (diamond), WC and Co.