TY - JOUR

T1 - Fabrication and properties of extrusion-based 3D-printed hardmetal and cermet components

AU - Lengauer, Walter

AU - Duretek, Ivica

AU - Fürst, Markus

AU - Schwarz, Viktoria

AU - Gonzalez-Gutierrez, Joamin

AU - Schuschnigg, Stephan

AU - Kukla, Christian

AU - Kitzmantel, Michael

AU - Neubauer, Erich

AU - Lieberwirth, Clemens

AU - Morrison, Vincent

PY - 2019/8/1

Y1 - 2019/8/1

N2 - Hardmetal and cermet bodies were printed by fused-filament fabrication (FFF) and composite-extrusion modelling (CEM) in an SDS (shaping – debinding – sintering) process. For FFF the filaments were prepared from hardmetal (WC-10Co) and cermet powder (Ti(C,N)-Co/Ni-based) and organic binder. The CEM feedstock consisted of WC-Co MIM powder. A 3D filament printer as well as a 3D printer working with a MIM granulate were employed to fabricate printed bodies by FFF and CEM, respectively. The solvent debinding process was performed in cyclohexane (FFF-printed bodies) or water (CEM-printed bodies). Thermal debinding of all parts was performed in a tube furnace up to a temperature of 800 °C. The pre-sintered parts were then subjected to vacuum sintering by application of conventional vacuum sintering profiles up to 1430 °C for hardmetals and up to 1480 °C for cermets. Dimensional and mass changes upon the various preparation steps as well as microstructure and porosity of the sintered bodies were investigated. While the microstructure is practically identical to that of conventionally prepared materials, some cavities were present from the printing process because of yet non-optimised printing strategy. By change of printing strategy the cavities could be minimised or even avoided. The study shows that with the applied 3D extrusion-printing techniques, hardmetal and cermet components with innovative geometries are accessible.

AB - Hardmetal and cermet bodies were printed by fused-filament fabrication (FFF) and composite-extrusion modelling (CEM) in an SDS (shaping – debinding – sintering) process. For FFF the filaments were prepared from hardmetal (WC-10Co) and cermet powder (Ti(C,N)-Co/Ni-based) and organic binder. The CEM feedstock consisted of WC-Co MIM powder. A 3D filament printer as well as a 3D printer working with a MIM granulate were employed to fabricate printed bodies by FFF and CEM, respectively. The solvent debinding process was performed in cyclohexane (FFF-printed bodies) or water (CEM-printed bodies). Thermal debinding of all parts was performed in a tube furnace up to a temperature of 800 °C. The pre-sintered parts were then subjected to vacuum sintering by application of conventional vacuum sintering profiles up to 1430 °C for hardmetals and up to 1480 °C for cermets. Dimensional and mass changes upon the various preparation steps as well as microstructure and porosity of the sintered bodies were investigated. While the microstructure is practically identical to that of conventionally prepared materials, some cavities were present from the printing process because of yet non-optimised printing strategy. By change of printing strategy the cavities could be minimised or even avoided. The study shows that with the applied 3D extrusion-printing techniques, hardmetal and cermet components with innovative geometries are accessible.

KW - Material Extrusion

KW - hardmetal

KW - cermet

KW - Additive Manufacturing

KW - Sintering

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064398036&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2019.04.011

DO - 10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2019.04.011

M3 - Article

VL - 82.2019

SP - 141

EP - 149

JO - International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials

JF - International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials

SN - 0263-4368

IS - August

ER -