Sintering of W−Ti−Co carbides in vacuum

Summary

• 1. To prevent excessive loss of cobalt in vacuum sintering of the T15K6 hard alloy, the pressure in the furnace must not be less than 10 mm Hg. At this pressure and at 1400°C, the cemented structure is formed after 2 hr (sintering takes 3–4 h in a hydrogen atmosphere at 1500–1550°C in the central zone of the furnace).

• 2. Addition to the initial mixture of the correct amounts of carbon for removing the oxygen in the mixture in the form of CO benefits structure formation and the physico-mechanical properties; the properties deteriorate and sintering is slower if the correct additional amounts are exceeded.