PFI:AIR-TT: WC/Co Materials with High Hardness and Toughness Simultaneously Enabled by the WC Platelet Microstructure

该PFI：AIR技术翻译项目的重点是翻译碳化钨-钴（WC/Co）材料的发现与纳米WC片晶，提供高硬度和韧性的特点，以满足硬质合金行业的需求。 该项目将导致烧结方法和加工条件，以获得一致和坚固的WC/Co材料，同时具有全密度和均匀的WC片晶微观结构。这些具有纳米WC片晶的WC/Co材料具有高纵横比的薄WC片晶的独特特征。这一特性提供了前所未有的硬度和韧性增强，其性能优于当今已知的任何WC/Co材料。由于纳米WC片晶的薄厚度提供了高硬度，而高纵横比提供了上级韧性，因此实现了这种无与伦比的增强。除了具有上级机械性能外，本项目还通过我们的专利集成机械和热活化（IMTA）工艺来制备低成本的纳米WC/Co粉末作为制备具有纳米WC片晶的WC/Co材料的起始材料，以解决WC/Co材料的成本问题。该IMTA工艺结合了机械活化和热活化，以减少加工步骤，降低反应温度，缩短反应时间，减少球磨时间，从而大幅降低纳米WC/Co粉末的成本。目前，预期潜力的障碍是不均匀的显微组织和硬度和韧性的大变化。因此，本PFI：AIR技术转化项目将专注于烧结研究，并建立烧结条件，以获得成分范围为6至18 wt.%的一致WC/Co材料该项目委托全球第二大WC/Co制造商肯纳金属公司（Kennametal）独立评估含有纳米WC片晶的WC/Co材料的机械性能，旨在加速技术从研究发现向商业现实的转化。此外，项目团队还与伊利诺伊理工学院的大学科技园（UTP）合作。UTP是美国发展最快的高科技创新中心之一，拥有强大的风险投资公司和天使投资人网络。与UTP的合作为项目团队提供了利用风险投资公司或天使投资者的资金创建初创公司的选择，以及新初创公司所需的办公空间和实验室。具有纳米WC片晶的WC/Co材料非常重要，因为WC/Co材料占所有硬质合金部件的98%，并已广泛应用于军事，航空航天，汽车，船舶，石化，采矿，电子和木材工业。在所有这些军事和民用应用中，需要由高硬度和高韧性的组合得到的上级耐磨性。在某些情况下，抗冲击性也是必须的。因此，同时提高硬度和韧性的先进WC/Co材料将大大提高许多现有WC/Co部件的性能，并在其当前应用窗口之外的领域开辟新的机会。我们开发的低成本制造技术将进一步推动这种新型WC/Co硬质合金的广泛应用，并增强美国制造业的竞争力。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating the discovery of Tungsten Carbide-Cobalt (WC/Co) materials with nano-WC platelets that offer characteristics of both high hardness and toughness to fill the needs of the hardmetal industry. This project will result in a sintering approach and processing conditions to obtain consistent and robust WC/Co materials with full densities and a uniform WC platelet microstructure simultaneously. These WC/Co materials with nano-WC platelets have the unique feature of thin WC platelets with high aspect ratios. This feature provides unprecedented enhancements in both hardness and toughness with properties better than any WC/Co materials known today. Such unmatched enhancements are achieved because thin thickness of nano-WC platelets offers high hardness, while the high aspect ratio provides superior toughness. In addition to the superior mechanical properties, this project also addresses the cost of WC/Co materials through our patented Integrated Mechanical and Thermal Activation (IMTA) process to make low cost nano-WC/Co powders as the starting materials to fabricate WC/Co materials with nano-WC platelets. This IMTA process combines mechanical and thermal activation to reduce processing steps, lower reaction temperatures, shorten reaction times, decrease ball milling times, and thus drastically reduce the cost of the nano-WC/Co powder. Currently, the roadblock to the anticipated potentials is inhomogeneous microstructure and a large variation in hardness and toughness. Thus, this PFI: AIR Technology Translation project will focus on sintering study and establish sintering conditions to attain consistent WC/Co materials with compositions ranging from 6 to 18 wt.% Co in conjunction with full densities and a uniform WC platelet microstructure simultaneously.The project engages Kennametal, the second largest WC/Co manufacturer in the world, to independently evaluate the mechanical properties of the WC/Co materials with nano-WC platelets with a goal to accelerate technology translation from research discovery toward commercial reality. In addition, the project team works with University Technology Park (UTP) at Illinois Institute of Technology. UTP is one of the nation's fastest-growing hubs for high-tech innovation, and has a robust network of venture capital firms and angel investors. Working with UTP offers the project team with the option of creating a startup company with funds from venture capital firms or angel investors as well as office space and laboratories required by a new startup company.The WC/Co materials with nano-WC platelets are important because WC/Co materials make up of 98% of all hardmetal components and have been widely used in military, aerospace, automotive, marine, petrochemical, mining, electronics, and wood industries. In all of these military and civilian applications, superior wear resistance derived from a combination of high hardness and high toughness is required. In some cases, impact resistance is also a must. Therefore, advanced WC/Co materials with simultaneous improvements in hardness and toughness will greatly enhance the performance of many existing WC/Co components, and open up new opportunities in areas outside their current application windows. The low cost manufacturing that we have developed can further propel widespread applications of such novel WC/Co hardmetals, and enhance the US manufacturing competitiveness.