Abstract

The effect of carbon content on the shape of WC grains dispersed in the Co-rich matrix during liquid phase sintering of WC-35%Co hard metals has been determined. The shape of WC grains was observed using SEM stereography after removing cobalt matrix with boiling hydrochloric acid solution. The WC grains changed from hexagonal to trigonal prism as the carbon content increased in the two-phase region of(WC + beta - Co), while the morphology of WC grains changed from trigonal to hexagonal shape as the carbon content decreased. The morphology of WC grains changes reversibly along with carbon loss or carbon pick-up. Morphology change of WC grains is attributed to crystal structure of WC, which has an asymmetric array of carbon atoms. There are two types of prismatic planes having different numbers of broken W-C bonds in WC grains. It is scrutinized that as the carbon content increases, the high energy prism planes grow fast and the crystals change from hexagonal to trigonal shape. On the other hand, when the carbon content decreases, the high energy prism planes are dissolved accompanying split of (100) plane into (101) and (101) planes.