Novel titanium carbide based hard metal alternative for traditional WC-Co

Cemented carbides are primarily used in metal cutting tools, metal forming tools (e.g. dies), construction and mining equipment where unique combination of mechanical, physical, and chemical properties are needed. The majority of cemented carbide material solution is based on tungsten carbide (WC) with cobalt (Co) binder metal. Development of novel titanium carbide (TiC) based hard metal is introduced. Properties of developed novel TiC based hard metal compositions are compared against traditional WC-Co grades. Performed tests show that mechanical properties (flexural strength, fracture toughness and hardness) of studied compositions are comparable to medium and coarse grain size WC-Co grades. The behavior of varied material compositions in crushing pin-on-disk test is also evaluated. Gained results shows that developed TiC hard metal grades are potential candidates to substitute traditional WC-Co in certain applications.