Monday, March 31, 2008

Description of Tungsten Carbide Technology www.tool-tool.com

Bewise Inc. www.tool-tool.com Reference source from the internet.

1. Introduction
Tungsten carbide/cobalt (“WC/Co”) is widely used for cutting tools, metal forming tools, mining tools, and wear resistance surfaces, with wide range of applications, ranging from aerospace, automobile, to home appliances. For these applications, the mechanical properties of interest are hardness, toughness, compressive strength, transverse rupture strength, and wear resistance. The first patents on WC/Co were issued to the Germany company “Osram Studiengesellschaft” in 1923, with the first marketable hardmetal of WC/6w.t.%Co, was produced in 1926 under the name of “Widia.”

Over the past century, researches in WC/Co hardmetal were focused on improving the manufacturing process, so that the as-produced WC/Co has maximized hardness while maintaining a reasonable toughness. All these activities are constrained in the frame of micrometer structured carbide material. In the late 70s and early 80s, ultrafine or submicron WC materials are then introduced, thus greatly extended the application of WC into new emerging applications in the area of microelectronics and telecommunications. Today several companies are producing submicrometer WC materials, including OMG, Tokyo Tungsten, and Sandvick. These companies are capable of producing tonnage quantities of WC powder and bulk materials with carbide size >100 nm and <1>

The concept of making nanograined WC powder was first introduced by Kear et al at Exxon. The manufacturing process was later developed by Nanodyne in collaboration with Rutgers University. Kear’s process uses a wet chemical process, where W and Co are uniformly mixed at the molecular level, intermediate pre-carbide form was then produced via a spray dry process, and the final carbide formation process was accomplished via a fluidized bed reactor. In the late 90s, Nanodyne was capable of producing up to few hundred quantities in batch operation mode. The Nanodyne process was bought by Union Muniere (a Belgium company), with the intention of full commercialization. In the last years, Union Muniere had tried very hard to convert Kear’s batch process into a commercial quantities production via a fluidized bed reactor. Due to the intrinsic limitation of the Kear process, commercialization of nanostructured WC eventually failure, and Union Muniere had shutdown the nanostructured WC/Co activity in 2001.

Learned from Nanodyne’s hard process lessons, Inframat Corporation (“IMC”) had taken rather a different approach to manufacturing superfine WC/Co material. IMC’s process utilized the low cost and scalable wet chemical synthesis technique, yet its operation uses a continuous production mode, so that the process can be precisely controlled and stable at different stage of carburization process. To date, large quantities of superfine WC powders with a superfine particle size WC, have been produced in continuous operation mode. Thus, we anticipate no commercialization barrier to this technology.

2. Technology Description
Powder production. IMC’s nanostructured WC materials are produced via a wet chemical process, where precursors of W and C are mixed at the molecular level in an aqueous media. A low temperature conversion of the liquid precursor produces a preceramic intermediate product. Further chemical process of this preceramic powder using IMC’s a proprietary continuous heat treatment schedule at controlled stages resulted in superfine structured WC material. The as-synthesized WC powder has average grain size of ~ 40 nm. These nanograined WC particles are agglomerated with average agglomerate size of 0.2 to 0.4 micron.

The next step in IMC’s synthesis process is to add a cobalt source into the WC materials to produce a superfine WC/Co composite. Thus, the final powder can be sold to venders as either WC powders or ready-to-press WC/Co composite powders. Under appropriate processing procedures, they can be engineered to either submicrometer particle sized or nanograin sized powders.

WC/Co Hardmetal Development. IMC is developing a variety of leading edge technologies in the area of hardmetals (tungsten carbide/cobalt and its alloys) that enable exceptional hardness in end products comprised of these materials without concomitant loss in fracture toughness. This performance edge is achieved by an important innovation in the alloying of proprietary grain growth inhibitors with tungsten carbide/cobalt powders, both for nanostructured WC/Co and superfine WC/Co. IMC is now developing industrial scale pilot plant capability to manufacture and sell these nanoscale and superfine alloyed powders under the trade names Nanalloy® and InfralloyTM. These proprietary tungsten carbide products can be sold as is for the thermal sprayed coatings industry or in bulk consolidated (sintered) form for the cutting tools and related industries.

IMC’s technology is based on a chemical process for the synthesis of WC and WC/Co powders, in which the individual W, C, and/or Co precursors are intimately mixed at the molecular level, yielding a uniquely homogeneous product with exceptional high performance. IMC has developed exceptionally hard bulk consolidated composite materials, with hardness measured up to 2300 VHN. These sintered materials exhibit unparalleled fracture toughness at this level of hardness. These materials are compression sintered in inert gas or vacuum furnaces to form highly homogeneous monoliths. The hardness of the sintered products is found to be a function of cobalt content. Typically, cutting tool applications force the minimum Co content level to be above 6%, below which the material cannot be sintered.

Superfine ceramic-Metal (”Cermet”) bulk materials have been shown to exhibit improved wear resistance. The key advantage of superfine cermet is in the greatly improved toughness and hardness, wear resistance. In conventional materials, hardness and toughness are mutually exclusive attributes. Generally, very hard materials lack toughness, and vice versa. Fig. 1 shows that this inverse proportionality is shifted upward and outward in the case of superfine cermets, and effectively, these materials exhibit excellent values for both hardness and toughness. This unusual marriage of properties is anticipated to enable applications where both properties are required. Tooling is a common example of this dual requirement.

Fig. 2 shows a typical abrasive wear behavior of the sintered WC/Co Nanalloy Ingot, performed by ABB under simulated deep sea mining application. As a comparison, Sandvick’s superfine WC/Co was also used as a base line. The data suggested that IMC’s WC/Co composite is advantages to the current best superfine Sandivk’s WC/Co ingot for deep-sea petroleum applications. This improved wear behavior is benefited from a combination of increased hardness and toughness.

Fig. 3 shows a typical cavitation behavior of the sintered WC/Co Nanolloy Ingot, performed by Hydro-Qubet for hydropower plant applications. As a comparison, Conventional WC/Co was also used as a base line. The data suggested that IMC’s WC/Co composite is at least 4X better than the current used WC/Co material.

3. Commercialization Status
IMC had completed all the scientific experimental research work in making superfine sized WC/Co powders and hardmetal ingots. IMC had completed pilot plant production of this unique WC powder, and is in the processing commercializing this material at US with tonnage quantities. Inframat is currently forming a joint venture with a WC manufacturer for large-scale production of this material.

歡迎來到Bewise Inc.的世界,首先恭喜您來到這接受新的資訊讓產業更有競爭力,我們是提供專業刀具製造商,應對客戶高品質的刀具需求,我們可以協助客戶滿足您對產業的不同要求,我們有能力達到非常卓越的客戶需求品質,這是現有相關技術無法比擬的,我們成功的滿足了各行各業的要求,包括:精密HSS DIN切削刀具協助客戶設計刀具流程DIN or JIS 鎢鋼切削刀具設計NAS986 NAS965 NAS897 NAS937orNAS907 航太切削刀具,NAS航太刀具設計超高硬度的切削刀具醫療配件刀具設計汽車業刀具設計電子產業鑽石刀具木工產業鑽石刀具等等。我們的產品涵蓋了從民生刀具到工業級的刀具設計;從微細刀具到大型刀具;從小型生產到大型量產;全自動整合;我們的技術可提供您連續生產的效能,我們整體的服務及卓越的技術,恭迎您親自體驗!!

BW Bewise Inc. Willy Chen willy@tool-tool.com bw@tool-tool.com www.tool-tool.com skype:willy_chen_bw mobile:0937-618-190 Head &Administration Office No.13,Shiang Shang 2nd St., West Chiu Taichung,Taiwan 40356 http://www.tool-tool..com / FAX:+886 4 2471 4839 N.Branch 5F,No.460,Fu Shin North Rd.,Taipei,Taiwan S.Branch No.24,Sec.1,Chia Pu East Rd.,Taipao City,Chiayi Hsien,Taiwan

Welcome to BW tool world! We are an experienced tool maker specialized in cutting tools. We focus on what you need and endeavor to research the best cutter to satisfy users demand. Our customers involve wide range of industries, like mold & die, aerospace, electronic, machinery, etc. We are professional expert in cutting field. We would like to solve every problem from you. Please feel free to contact us, its our pleasure to serve for you. BW product including: cutting toolaerospace tool .HSS DIN Cutting toolCarbide end millsCarbide cutting toolNAS Cutting toolNAS986 NAS965 NAS897 NAS937orNAS907 Cutting Tools,Carbide end milldisc milling cutter,Aerospace cutting toolhss drillФрезерыCarbide drillHigh speed steelMilling cutterCVDD(Chemical Vapor Deposition Diamond )’PCBN (Polycrystalline Cubic Boron Nitride) Core drillTapered end millsCVD Diamond Tools Inserts’PCD Edge-Beveling Cutter(Golden FingerPCD V-CutterPCD Wood toolsPCD Cutting toolsPCD Circular Saw BladePVDD End Millsdiamond tool Single Crystal Diamond Metric end millsMiniature end millsСпециальные режущие инструментыПустотелое сверло Pilot reamerFraisesFresas con mango PCD (Polycrystalline diamond) ‘FreseElectronics cutterStep drillMetal cutting sawDouble margin drillGun barrelAngle milling cutterCarbide burrsCarbide tipped cutterChamfering toolIC card engraving cutterSide cutterNAS toolDIN or JIS toolSpecial toolMetal slitting sawsShell end millsSide and face milling cuttersSide chip clearance sawsLong end millsStub roughing end millsDovetail milling cuttersCarbide slot drillsCarbide torus cuttersAngel carbide end millsCarbide torus cuttersCarbide ball-nosed slot drillsMould cutterTool manufacturer.

Bewise Inc. www.tool-tool.com

ようこそBewise Inc.の世界へお越し下さいませ、先ず御目出度たいのは新たな

情報を受け取って頂き、もっと各産業に競争力プラス展開。

弊社は専門なエンドミルの製造メーカーで、客先に色んな分野のニーズ

豊富なパリエーションを満足させ、特にハイテク品質要求にサポート致します。

弊社は各領域に供給できる内容は:

(1)精密HSSエンドミルのR&D

(2)Carbide Cutting tools設計

(3)鎢鋼エンドミル設計

(4)航空エンドミル設計

(5)超高硬度エンドミル

(6)ダイヤモンドエンドミル

(7)医療用品エンドミル設計

(8)自動車部品&材料加工向けエンドミル設計

弊社の製品の供給調達機能は:

(1)生活産業~ハイテク工業までのエンドミル設計

(2)ミクロエンドミル~大型エンドミル供給

(3)小Lot生産~大量発注対応供給

(4)オートメーション整備調達

(5)スポット対応~流れ生産対応

弊社の全般供給体制及び技術自慢の総合専門製造メーカーに貴方のご体験を御待ちしております。

BW специализируется в научных исследованиях и разработках, и снабжаем самым высокотехнологичным карбидовым материалом для поставки режущих / фрезеровочных инструментов для почвы, воздушного пространства и электронной индустрии. В нашу основную продукцию входит твердый карбид / быстрорежущая сталь, а также двигатели, микроэлектрические дрели, IC картонорезальные машины, фрезы для гравирования, режущие пилы, фрезеры-расширители, фрезеры-расширители с резцом, дрели, резаки форм для шлицевого вала / звездочки роликовой цепи, и специальные нано инструменты. Пожалуйста, посетите сайт www.tool-tool.com для получения большей информации.

BW is specialized in R&D and sourcing the most advanced carbide material with high-tech coating to supply cutting / milling tool for mould & die, aero space and electronic industry. Our main products include solid carbide / HSS end mills, micro electronic drill, IC card cutter, engraving cutter, shell end mills, cutting saw, reamer, thread reamer, leading drill, involute gear cutter for spur wheel, rack and worm milling cutter, thread milling cutter, form cutters for spline shaft/roller chain sprocket, and special tool, with nano grade. Please visit our web www.tool-tool.com for more info.

No comments: