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Effect of Process Parameters on Part Quality, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of a WC-Co-Hexagonal Boron Nitride Alloy Prepared by Laser Power Bed Fusion Process

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Abstract

The WC-Co composite material is one of the most difficult materials to manufacture using a one-step additive manufacturing process such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion process (L-PBF). Recently, the addition of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has conferred good mechanical properties (hardness and wear) to WC-Co. However, comprehensive studies on the feasibility of adopting L-PBF for the composite are lacking. Thus, this study seeks to use L-PBF to prepare WC-Co-hBN (hBN: 3 vol.%) cemented carbide specimens by varying the processing parameters (laser power, scan speed and scan spacing). The effects of processing parameters on microstructural and mechanical properties on specimens are investigated using microstructural and chemical composition analysis, surface porosity analysis, microhardness and fracture toughness testing. The innovation of the study is that the hBN addition coupled with the varying printing parameters can regulate the resultant microstructure of the material and dictate very different mechanical properties. In detail, the findings of the experiments indicate that scan spacing was a significant factor in obtaining high densification. A highly dense specimen at 98% relative density (12.73 g/cm3) can be achieved at 0.04 mm scan spacing. We also recognized a reduction in the density generally linked to the low sinterability of BN, which resulted in a local volume increase of the specimen. Thus, hBN could be a good candidate for lightweight properties when added to materials, lowering the composite’s effective density. The L-PBF procedure resulted in inhomogeneous and fast grain growth of WC, which was linked to the non-uniform temperature distribution and varying cooling rates of melt pools during processing. Processed specimens were largely composed of polyangular WC carbides and WC platelets. The volume fraction of these two structures were influenced solely by the scan speed and laser power. The WC structure type has a significant effect on the strength of the composite. As a result, the study shows possibility of fabricating cemented carbides for functionally graded applications by adjusting the process parameters affecting WC carbides’ morphology.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for financial support. Additionally, we appreciate the technical assistance offered by York University's Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS) Laboratory. We are really grateful for the technical assistance offered by Mohawk College's Additive Manufacturing Resource Center.

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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada

    Joseph Agyapong, Aleksander Czekanski & Solomon Boakye-Yiadom

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  1. Joseph Agyapong
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Correspondence to Solomon Boakye-Yiadom.

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Agyapong, J., Czekanski, A. & Boakye-Yiadom, S. Effect of Process Parameters on Part Quality, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of a WC-Co-Hexagonal Boron Nitride Alloy Prepared by Laser Power Bed Fusion Process. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 33, 410–426 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-023-07976-5

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