Influence of Different Binders and Severe Environmental Conditions on the Tribological and Electrochemical Behaviour of WC-Based Composites

• Published in: Lubricants Vol. 10; no. 7; p. 145
• Main Authors: Pereira, Pedro, Vilhena, Luís, Sacramento, Joaquim, Senos, Ana, Malheiros, Luís, Ramalho, Amílcar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-07-2022
• Subjects: Abrasion resistance; alternative binders; Cemented carbides; Composite materials; Corrosion potential; Corrosion resistance; Corrosion tests; Corrosive wear; Cutting tools; Cutting wear; Electrochemical analysis; electrochemical behaviour; Electrodes; Erosion resistance; friction; Frictional wear; Grain size; Load; Mechanical properties; reciprocating sliding; Sliding friction; Synergistic effect; Tribology; Tungsten carbide; WC composites; wear; Wear resistance; Germany
• ISSN: 2075-4442; 2075-4442
• DOI: 10.3390/lubricants10070145

Cemented carbides are highly resistant to abrasion, erosion and sliding wear and are frequently used in drilling and cutting tool operations. In the present investigation, different submicrometric (0.8 µm) WC (tungsten carbide)-based composites were developed, containing various binders of Co, Ni, NiCr, NiMo, and NiCrMo. The main objective of the work was simultaneous tribological and electrochemical characterization to investigate the mechanisms of surface degradation when subjected to mechanical wear and how they interconnect with chemical or electrochemical processes and each other. By comparison with previous tribological tests, under dry sliding and the same contact conditions of load and frequency, it can be concluded that a synergistic effect was not observed and that the solution works mainly as lubrication, resulting in increased combined wear–corrosion resistance.