Korean Journal of Materials Research ISSN:1225-0562(Print) 2287-7258(Online) 한국재료학회지

Expensive PCBN or ceramic cutting tools are used for the processing of difficult-to-cut materials such as Ti and Ni alloy materials. These tools have a problem of breaking easily due to their high hardness but low fracture toughness. To solve this problem, cutting tools that form various coating layers are used in low-cost WC-Co hard material tools, and researches on various tool materials are being conducted. In this study, WC-5, 10, and 15 wt%Ni hard materials for difficult-to-cut cutting materials are densified using horizontal ball milled WC-Ni powders and pulsed current activated sintering method (PCAS method). Each PCASed WC–Ni hard materials are almost completely dense, with a relative density of up to 99.7 ~ 99.9 %, after the simultaneous application of pressure of 60 MPa and electric current for 2 min; process involves almost no change in the grain size. The average grain sizes of WC and Ni for WC-5, 10, and 15 wt%Ni hard materials are about 1.09 ~ 1.29 and 0.31 ~ 0.51 μm, respectively. Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of WC-5, 10, and 15 wt%Ni hard materials are about 1,923 ~ 1,788 kg/mm² and 13.2 ~ 14.3 MPa.m^1/2, respectively. Microstructure and phase analyses of PCASed WC-Ni hard materials are performed.