SBIR Phase I: Reclamation of Tungsten Carbide from Scrap Tools

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发一种新技术，直接从切削工具行业每年产生的价值20亿美元的WC-钴（Co）废料中回收WC。 由于必须从最终用户处收集，因此几乎不可能按等级进行分离，并且混合等级的可能性很大，因此需要一种侧重于WC的回收工艺。 由于使用高腐蚀性化学品和高能耗，目前的回收方法繁琐、耗时且昂贵。 该电化学工艺可省去氢还原和再碳化步骤，碳化后的碳化钨可被重新涂覆和再制造成WC-Co工具，用于机加工、钻探、成形工具和模具，以及用于石油和天然气燃烧器、喷墨和磨料水射流切割的喷嘴。 回收碳化钨的其他应用包括电子材料、耐磨复合涂层和陀螺仪配重。 预计电化学方法将通过减少化学品的使用量、降低化学品的设备基础设施使用量以及降低能源成本，在回收过程中显著节省成本。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a new technology to reclaim tungsten carbide (WC) directly from WC-cobalt (Co) scrap, generated each year by the cutting tool industry in an amount worth 2 billion dollars. Since segregation by grade is nearly impossible in that it must be collected from end users and since mixing grades is highly likely, a recovery process that focuses on WC is needed. Current methods for recovery are tedious, time consuming, and expensive due to use of highly corrosive chemicals and high energy consumption. The proposed electrochemical process will eliminate the hydrogen reduction step and the recarburization step.Recovered WC can be re-coated and remanufactured into WC-Co tools for applications in machining, oredrilling, in forming tools and dies, and nozzles for oil and natural gas burners, inkjets and abrasive waterjet cutting. Other applications for recovered WC include materials used in electronics, composite coatings for wear resistance, and counterweights for gyroscopes. The electrochemical approach is expected to result in significant cost savings in the recovery process by reducing the amount of chemicals used, lower the equipment infrastructure use of chemicals, and reduce energy costs.