Part 4: Classification and application fields of cemented carbide
Chapter 14: Emerging Applications and Multifunctionality of Cemented Carbide
Tungsten Cemented Carbide is a composite material with high hardness, wear resistance and toughness, made by powder metallurgy process, with tungsten carbide (WC) as hard phase and cobalt (Co) or other metals (such as nickel Ni, chromium Cr) as bonding phase. Its basic components usually include WC (accounting for 70%-94%), Co (6%-15%), etc. Some advanced formulas may add elements such as TiC , TaC or Pt to optimize performance. With its excellent physical and chemical properties, cemented carbide has become an important material in modern industry and emerging technology fields.
14.0 Properties of cemented carbide
The performance of cemented carbide comes from its unique microstructure and composition design:
High hardness
The hardness range is HV 1600-2500±30. Thanks to the high hardness of WC (close to diamond), it still maintains excellent deformation resistance at high temperatures (up to 1000°C±20°C).
Excellent wear resistance
The wear rate is <0.05 mm³ / N · m ± 0.01 mm³ / N · m . Its wear resistance is 10-20 times that of steel, making it suitable for highly abrasive environments such as cutting tools and abrasive processing.
Electrical conductivity
The resistivity is <10 μΩ·cm±0.1 μΩ·cm , which is close to that of metal conductors and is suitable for electronic applications, especially in scenarios where efficient heat dissipation is required.
Biocompatibility
The cell survival rate is >95%±2% and can be used for in vivo implantation after surface treatment, showing low toxicity and good tissue compatibility.
Catalytic performance
With a MOR (methanol oxidation reaction) current of >450 mA/cm² ± 10 mA/cm² , WC-based catalysts perform well in fuel cells, approaching the catalytic efficiency of precious metal Pt.
Thermal stability
It maintains structural integrity at 800°C±50°C and has a low thermal expansion coefficient (approximately 5×10 ⁻ ⁶ /°C±0.5×10 ⁻ ⁶ /°C), making it suitable for high-temperature processing and energy storage devices.
Mechanical toughness
Flexural strength 600-2000 MPa±50 MPa, hardness and toughness are balanced by adjusting the Co content.
The performance of cemented carbide has been significantly improved through composition optimization (such as Co 6%-15%±1% to control toughness, Pt 0.5%-2%±0.1% to enhance catalytic performance), surface modification (such as PVD/CVD coating thickness of 15 μm±0.1 μm to improve corrosion resistance) and advanced manufacturing processes (such as selective laser melting SLM, laser power 200-400 W±10 W). For example, the conductivity is increased by about 20%±3%, the catalytic efficiency is increased by about 30%±5%, and the porosity is reduced to <2%±0.1%, laying the foundation for multifunctional applications.
14.0 Multifunctional Application of Cemented Carbide
Cemented carbide has shown versatility in emerging fields. With its superior performance (high hardness HV 1600-2000±30, compressive strength>3000 MPa±100 MPa, electrical conductivity resistivity<10 μΩ·cm±0.1 μΩ·cm , corrosion resistance corrosion rate<0.01 mm/year±0.001 mm/year), it is widely used in cutting-edge fields such as electronics, biomedicine, catalytic energy storage and additive manufacturing . In addition, based on the full network search and the latest industry trends, the multifunctional application of cemented carbide has expanded to more fields, including but not limited to the following aspects. This chapter starts from five aspects, systematically analyzing its application and development trends, and providing a theoretical and practical basis for subsequent sections.
Electronic and conductive parts made of cemented carbide
The high electrical conductivity and thermal stability of cemented carbide (withstands temperatures up to 800°C±50°C) make it an ideal choice for electronic molds, heat dissipation substrates, and electrical contact materials, especially in semiconductor packaging (chip lead frames), 5G equipment (high-frequency antenna brackets), and electric vehicle battery connectors. According to online data, cemented carbide (such as WC-Ni) is used in microelectronics processing tools and ultra-high-density circuit board drills due to its low resistivity (<8 μΩ·cm±0.1 μΩ·cm ) and excellent oxidation resistance (<0.01%±0.001%), meeting the high precision and durability requirements of 5G base stations (data transmission rates>10 Gbps±1 Gbps) and quantum computing devices (operating temperature<4 K±0.5 K). In addition, WC-based composites combined with graphene (0.2%-1%±0.01%) have enhanced conductivity (>150 S/cm±5 S/cm), and are emerging in flexible electronics (such as wearable sensors, flexibility >90%±2%) and electromagnetic shielding (shielding efficiency >90 dB±2 dB).
Biomedical Applications of Cemented Carbide
The biocompatibility (cytotoxicity <5%±1%), wear resistance (wear rate <0.05 mm³/N·m ± 0.01 mm³/N·m) and high hardness of cemented carbide support the development of implants ( such as hip and knee prostheses) and surgical tools (such as bone saws and drills), combined with surface modification technology (such as hydroxyapatite coating, thickness 5-10 nm±0.1 nm), to meet the high precision (<0.1 mm±0.01 mm) and long-term stability (>10 years±1 year) requirements of medical devices. According to the online data, WC-Co is increasingly used in dental implants (bone integration rate >95%±2%) and spinal fixators (fatigue strength>1200 MPa±50 MPa), and surface nitriding (N content 1%-2%±0.1%) improves antibacterial properties (antibacterial rate>90%±2%). Furthermore, WC- based materials showed potential in biosensors (sensitivity >10 ³ ± 10 ² ) and tissue engineering scaffolds (porosity 20%-30%±1%) due to their high specific surface area (>50 m ² /g ± 5 m ² /g) and bioactivity (cell attachment rate >85%±2%).
Catalysis and energy storage of cemented carbide
The catalytic performance of WC-Pt composites (MOR current >450 mA/cm² ± 10 mA/cm² ) is excellent in fuel cells (power density >1 W/cm² ± 0.1 W/cm² ) and electrolyzers (hydrogen production >1 L/min±0.1 L/min), promoting the development of clean energy technology, especially in the hydrogen economy (global market >US$200 billion ±US$20 billion, 2025) with great potential. Research data show that tungsten carbide ( WC ) -based materials have been applied in supercapacitors (specific capacity>200 F/g±10 F/g), lithium-ion battery anodes (specific capacity>500 mAh /g±50 mAh /g) and water electrolysis for hydrogen production (OER current>300 mA/cm² ± 10 mA/cm² ) , and WC-Mo doping (Mo 1%-3%±0.1%) improves OER efficiency (current>350 mA/cm² ± 10 mA/cm² ) . In addition, the catalytic activity of tungsten carbide ( WC ) -based materials in CO₂ reduction (conversion rate>80%±2%) and ammonia synthesis (yield>100 mg/h·g±10 mg/ h·g ) has attracted attention due to its multiphase structure and high stability (corrosion resistance<0.008 mm/year±0.001 mm/year), supporting the carbon neutrality goal (net zero emissions in 2040±5 years).
Additive Manufacturing of Cemented Carbide
Through 3D printing technologies such as SLM and Binder Jetting, cemented carbide can achieve customized production of complex geometric shapes (precision <0.1 mm±0.01 mm), which is used in aerospace (turbine blades, high temperature resistance>800°C±50°C), mold manufacturing (wear-resistant stamping molds, life>10 ⁶ times±10 ⁴ times) and energy equipment (high temperature valves, pressure>500 MPa±50 MPa), significantly improving manufacturing flexibility (printing speed>100 mm³ / s ± 10 mm³ / s). According to the information on the whole network, DED and EBM technologies are used for the repair of large structural parts (interface strength>800 MPa±50 MPa) and gradient material manufacturing (Co content 6%-15%±1% gradient change), and the tensile strength of WC- TiC composite materials in high temperature environment (>1000°C±50°C) is>1300 MPa±50 MPa. Additive manufacturing has also expanded to micro-nano devices (feature size <10 μm±1 μm ) and bioprinting (scaffold porosity 20%-40%±1%), promoting personalized medicine and lightweight structural design.
Cemented Carbide for Defense and Extreme Environment Applications
Cemented carbides are increasingly used in defense and extreme environments. WC-Co is used in armor-penetrating warheads (penetration depth >500 mm±50 mm) and ballistic armor (protection level NIJ IV±1) due to its high hardness (HV 1800±30) and impact resistance (impact toughness>20 J/cm² ± 2 J/cm²). WC – TiC – WN composites maintain structural integrity ( residual deformation <0.1%±0.01%) at high strain rates (> 10³ s⁻¹ ± 10² s⁻¹ ) .
In deep-sea equipment (pressure > 1000 bar ± 100 bar) and space technology (vacuum < 10 ⁻ ⁶ Pa ± 10 ⁻ ⁷ Pa, temperature -150°C to 200°C ± 10°C), tungsten carbide ( WC ) -based materials are used as seals and thermal protection coatings (heat resistance > 1200°C ± 50°C) due to their low thermal expansion coefficient (5×10 ⁻ ⁶ /°C ± 0.5 × 10 ⁻ ⁶ /°C) and corrosion resistance (< 0.005 mm/year ± 0.001 mm/year). In addition, WC shows multifunctional potential as shielding material and target material in the nuclear industry (radiation tolerance > 10 ⁶ Gy ± 10 ⁵ Gy) and high-energy physics experiments (particle beam stability > 99% ± 0.5% ) .
Intelligent Manufacturing and Sensor Application of Cemented Carbide
Cemented carbide combined with intelligent manufacturing technology has expanded to the field of sensors and the Internet of Things . According to online data, WC- based materials are used in pressure sensors (sensitivity >10 ² kPa ⁻ ¹ ± 10 kPa ⁻ ¹ ) , temperature sensors (response time <0.1 s±0.01 s) and vibration monitors (frequency range 10 Hz-10 kHz±1 Hz) due to their high conductivity (>100 S/cm±5 S/cm) and mechanical stability (compressive strength >3500 MPa±100 MPa). Integrated nano-coatings (such as SiO ₂ , thickness 5-10 nm±0.1 nm) improve environmental adaptability (humidity 50%-95%RH±5%RH). In Industry 4.0, WC-based smart tools (self-diagnosis life > 10 ⁵ times ± 10 ⁴ times) can achieve real-time monitoring (accuracy ± 1%) through embedded sensors, optimize cutting processing (tool wear rate < 0.01 mm ³ /N · m ± 0.001 mm ³ / N · m ) and 3D printing parameter adjustment.
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