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

这个PFI：空气技术翻译项目专注于将发现的碳化钨-钴(WC/Co)材料与纳米WC片材进行翻译，这些材料具有高硬度和高韧性的特点，以满足硬质合金行业的需求。该项目将产生一种烧结方法和工艺条件，以获得一致和坚固的全密度WC/Co材料，同时获得均匀的WC片状组织。这些含纳米WC片层的WC/Co材料具有WC片层薄、长径比大的独特特点。这一特性在硬度和韧性方面都提供了前所未有的增强，其性能优于目前已知的任何WC/Co材料。之所以实现这种无与伦比的增强，是因为薄的纳米WC片层提供了高硬度，而高纵横比提供了优异的韧性。除了优异的机械性能，该项目还通过我们的专利集成机械和热激活(IMTA)工艺解决了WC/Co材料的成本问题，以低成本的纳米WC/Co粉末为原料，制备具有纳米WC片层的WC/Co材料。该IMTA工艺将机械活化和热活化相结合，减少了工艺步骤，降低了反应温度，缩短了反应时间，缩短了球磨时间，从而大大降低了纳米WC/Co粉末的成本。目前，阻碍达到预期电位的主要因素是组织不均匀和硬度、韧性变化较大。因此，这个PFI：空气技术转化项目将专注于烧结研究，并建立烧结条件，以获得成分从6到18wt.%Co的一致的WC/Co材料，同时获得全密度和均匀的WC片层组织。该项目聘请世界第二大WC/Co制造商Kennamtal独立评估带有纳米WC片层的WC/Co材料的机械性能，目标是加速技术从研究发现向商业现实的转化。此外，该项目团队还与伊利诺伊理工学院的大学科技园(UTP)合作。UTP是美国增长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者网络。与UTP合作为项目团队提供了一个选择，利用风险投资公司或天使投资者的资金创建一家初创公司，以及创建一家新的初创公司所需的办公空间和实验室。带有纳米WC片层的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%，已广泛应用于军事、航空航天、汽车、海洋、石化、采矿、电子和木材行业。在所有这些军用和民用应用中，都需要高硬度和高韧性相结合而产生的优异耐磨性。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材料将极大地提高许多现有WC/Co组件的性能，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可以进一步推动这种新型WC/Co硬质合金的广泛应用，提高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.