Research progress on preparation of cobalt-less/cobalt-free WC-based materials

In view of the scarcity of cobalt resources in China and the deficiency of the traditional WC–Co cemented carbides serving in the corrosive medium and high temperature environments, a series of cobalt-less/cobalt-free WC-based materials with good performance was summarized, including the WC-based cemented carbides with other metals or intermetallic compounds instead of Co, the pure WC, and the WC composites reinforced by ceramic phases. The advantages and disadvantages of the cobalt-less/cobalt-free WC-based materials were discussed, and the development trend was forecasted.