On the solubility of chromium in the cubic carbide and M_7C_3 carbide in the WC-Co-Cr-Me systems (Me = Ti, Nb, Ta and Zr)

摘要

The solubility of Cr in cubic carbides in the systems WC-Co-TiC and WC-Co-NbC has been determined using equilibrium samples. Thermodynamic calculations were used to design the alloys through extrapolations of Gibbs energy expressions. The alloys were designed to have a microstructure containing the following phases: WC, liquid, M_7C_3, graphite and cubic carbide. The alloys were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The present work shows how Cr solubility depends on which cubic carbide former is present.