Beurteilung von verfahrenstechnischen Einflussfaktoren auf die (metallurgischen) Eigenschaften von Hartmetallen mit hohem Recyclinganteil

Research output: ThesisMaster's Thesis

Abstract

In recent decades, carbide tools have become more and more popular for machining metallic materials due to their unique properties. Tungsten carbide-cobalt grades (WC-Co) stand out as one of the most versatile variants. The recycling of metals gains considerably in importance, as it represents an important input for sustainable production and for independence from other countries. Especially for refractory metals, recycling proves to be an inevitable process, as minable ores are mostly located in politically unstable countries and therefore, the prices for these raw materials are also subject to great fluctuation. For tungsten materials, the zinc process is currently the most widely used recycling technology, where it is possible to recover WC and Co from cemented carbide scrap. This master thesis deals with a new ultrafine WC-Co grade with carbide additives (Cr3C2, VC, Mo2C) and variable contents of recycled material. A statistical design of experimental study was carried out, based on which the influences of the variations in the recycling content, the pre-milling time of the recycled material, the total milling time of the powder and the carbon balancing on the cemented carbide were investigated. In addition, different sintering processes were considered. Finally, the desired two-phase region WC+ß of the investigated carbide grade should be determined for all variations of the recycling content. The evaluation of the two-phase region was based on the magnetic saturation. The widest carbon window was found for the variant containing no recycling material with 134¿177 (10-7¿T¿m3)/kg. The carbon windows for the other recycling contents could not be clearly or completely determined. The expected tendency of the two-phase region to narrow with increasing recycling content input was not evident from the experimental results. The statistical evaluation showed that the data obtained could not sufficiently be described by the used model. The quantitative results could not be evaluated in connection with the qualitative results about the microstructure, which led to some contradictory facts within the statistical evaluation. Contradictions arose mainly in the behavior of the hardness after HV30, coercivity and magnetic saturation with respect to carbon content, grinding and H2-sintering. However, recycled material was found to have a negative effect on the physical properties of the investigated carbide grade. Furthermore, it was also found that the pre-milling time and milling time have to be considered separately and cannot be summarized as total milling time.

Details

Translated title of the contributionAssessment of process engineering factors influencing the (metallurgical) properties of cemented carbides with a high recycled content
Original languageGerman
QualificationDipl.-Ing.
Awarding Institution
Supervisors/Advisors
Award date20 Oct 2023
Publication statusPublished - 2023