TITLE:
Influence of Carbon Content of WC-Co Electrode Materials on the Wear Resistance of Electrospark Coatings
AUTHORS:
Alexander A. Burkov, Sergey A. Pyachin, Alexey V. Zaytsev
KEYWORDS:
Hard Coating; Electrospark Deposition; Tungsten Carbide; Wear
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Surface Engineered Materials and Advanced Technology,
Vol.2 No.2,
April
26,
2012
ABSTRACT: In the electrospark deposition (ESD) of WC-Co materials on low carbon steel, tungsten carbide (WC) decarburization is observed. The use of an inert atmosphere (argon) does not eliminate the problem of tungsten carbide decarburization during electrospark processing. The effect of the carbon concentration of electrode materials on the phase composition and mechanical properties of WC (10 wt% of Co) ESD coatings has been investigated in this work. The introduction of additional carbon (graphite) in the electrode material on the basis of the WC-10%Co leads to an increased amount of WC in the obtained coatings and thus improves their wear resistance.