Authors:
Jazmina Navarrete-Cuadrado (1,2), Tomás Soria-Biurrun (1,2), Lorena Lozada-Cabezas (1,2), Federico Ibarreta-López (3), Roberto Martínez-Pampliega (3), Jose M. Sánchez-Moreno (1,2)
1- CEIT-Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Manuel Lardizabal 15, 20018 Donostia / San Sebastián, Spain.
2- Universidad de Navarra, Tecnun, Manuel Lardizabal 13, 20018 Donostia / San Sebastián, Spain.
3- FMD CARBIDE, Fabricación Metales Duros, S.A.L., Gudarien etorbidea 18, 48970 Basauri, Spain.
Abstract:
The limited availability of materials like tungsten, cobalt or nickel is a risk for the hardmetal industry. TiC based cermets are potential candidates for replacement of hardmetals in certain hot wear applications. In this work, TiC-Fe-Cr-Mo cermets have been produced by vacuum sintering under different vacuum conditions. Molybdenum was added either as Mo2C or as Mo metallic powder along with Fe and Cr3C2. The vacuum level is critical for promoting the carbothermal reduction of oxides and porosity removal during the sintering cycle. Introduction of 1.2 bars of argon overpressure at 1300 ºC is key for avoiding binder evaporation. However, due to an open porosity state at this temperature, part of the injected argon gets entrapped, leaving some porosity in sintered specimens of TiC-Fe-Cr-Mo. Mo2C powders induce higher densification than those based on metallic Mo. This is likely related to its finer particle size distribution and its contribution to the carbothermal reduction of oxides during the sintering cycle.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59499/EP235763635