Effect of grinding body shape on morphology and properties of WC−10%Co cemented carbide

The raw materials consisting of WC−10% Co (mass fraction) with the same composition were selected in this paper, the grinding was carried out using spherical and rod-shaped grinding media, respectively, and the cemented carbides were prepared. The effects of grinding body shapes on the micro-morphology of the powders were investigated, as well as the morphology and properties of the WC‒10%Co cemented carbides. In the results, the WC grains in the alloys produced with various grinding bodies are randomly distributed within the Co phases, exhibiting the typical shapes of irregular rectangles and triangles. After extending the grinding time, the grinding intensity of grinding balls exceeds that of the grinding rods, resulting in the occurrence of coarse particles and the generation of broken powders, which negatively impacts the grain distribution and cemented carbide properties. In contrast, the alloy grains ground by the grinding rods are finer and more uniform. The cemented carbides ground by grinding rods for up to 40 h exhibit the improved properties as relative density of 99.6%, coercive magnetic force of 129 kA·m⁻¹, hardness of HRA 91.5, fracture toughness of 9.5 MPa·m^1/2, and flexural strength of 3565 MPa.