Tungsten carbide crystals

This section deals primarily with the carburization of tungsten powder, the most widely used process for producing WC on a, technical scale. Also, the carburization performed in melts is discussed briefly owing to historical reasons and the production of hard facing alloys. Finally, the formation of coarse tungsten carbide crystals in auxiliary melts ( Menstruum WC) is discussed. 

Figure 3.16 Schematic ie M esentation of the simple hexagonal (hex) structure of the tungsten carbide crystal.

Figure 4-150 shows the major components and design of the PDC bit. The polycrystalline diamond compacts, shown in Figure 4-151. The polycrystalline diamond compacts (of which General Electric s) consist of a thin layer of synthetic diamonds on a tungsten carbide disk. These compacts are produced as an integral blank by a high-pressure, high-temperature process. The diamond layer consists of many tiny crystals grown together at random orientations for maximum strength and wear resistance.

Tungsten carbide has a complex crystal structure with three phases Wq (subcarbide), the monocarbide WC (also called a-WC), and P-WCj.x, which is unstable and forms only above 1530°C. The monocarbide WC is the most important phase and the one reported here. Its characteristics and properties are summarized in Table 9.9. 

Natural single-crystal diamond and carbonado can now be replaced in many industrial uses by sintered diamond tool blanks. Such tool blanks are available in disks and cores. The disks, or sectors of disks, consist of a thin (0.5—1.5 mm) layer of sintered diamond up to about 50 mm diameter on a cemented tungsten carbide-base block about 3—6 mm thick. Using diamond abrasive, such blanks can be formed into cutting tools of various shapes. Typical tool blanks are shown in Figure 9. The wire dies have diamond cores up to 10 mm in diameter and 10 mm in length, which are encased in a cemented tungsten carbide sleeve up to 25 mm in diameter. 

Gragert and Meyer (Fig. 6.2.1) and Boyarskaya (Fig. 6.2.2) by observation of surface deformations induced by indentation with a tungsten carbide ball and by scratch. The observations were carried out using secondary electron beam and in cathodoluminescence. They demonstrated on MgO and LiF crystals the occurrence of cracks around the impression of the ball similar to those induced by a Vickers indenter, and also the occurrence of a concentration of screw and edge dislocations in the area of the cracks. 

Microcline, albite and labradorite were obtained from Ward s Canada Limited. Cleaved crystal fragments and 60 mesh-sized samples were ultrasonically cleaned prior to use. Powdered samples (particle size < 25 ym) were prepared by grinding in a tungsten carbide ball mill, wet-sieving and washing in water. 

The crystal structures adopted by the binary carbides and nitrides are similar to those found in noble metals. The resemblance is not coincidental, and has been explained using Engel-Brewer valence bond theory [5]. Briefly, the main group elements C and N increase the metal s effective s-p electron count, so that structures and chemical properties of the early transition metals resemble those of the Group 8 metals. This idea was first introduced by Levy and Boudart [6] who noted that tungsten carbide had platinum-like properties. 

The most important property of tungsten carbide in its utilization in cemented carbides is its ability to dissolve partially in compressed powder mixtures of WC and ferrous metals, particularly cobalt, at 1300 to 1500°C. In the case of sintering with a liquid phase, WC partly crystallizes out of the binder phase of the WC-Co-alloy upon cooling. It becomes embedded in the tough but hard (not brittle) binder phase. 

The anvil seats transmit a force to the anvil tables of the order of 10 kN. Thus the seats are subjected to a normal stress of some 2 GPa, for a 3 mm diameter table. This value may well be exceeded for ultrahigh-pressure work. Thus seats are most often made of tungsten carbide with an optical finish. In some X-ray measurements, beryllium seats have to be used, for their transparency. The mechanical performance is then drastically decreased, and the beryllium must be machined in specialized workshops. Single-crystal sapphire has been used, to provide an increased optical aperture. ... 

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