Wear test induced effects on mechanical damage, chemical composition and Young’s modulus of selected types of carbides

Authors

• Iwona Jonczy Silesian University of Technology
• Krzysztof Filipowicz Silesian University of Technology
• Anna Kasprzyk Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Ceramics and Building Materials, Refractory Materials Division in Gliwice
• Jacek Podwórny Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Ceramics and Building Materials, Refractory Materials Division in Gliwice

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30678/fjt.179875

Keywords:

wear test, carbides, SEM observations, chemical composition

Abstract

Cemented WC–Co carbides are widely used in mining cutting tools due to their high hardness and abrasion resistance. In this study, five industrial carbide grades (G10, B2, B45, B65, and B23G) were investigated under abrasive wear conditions using a corundum-based medium simulating rock-cutting environments. Quantitative wear analysis and SEM observations revealed abrasive wear in all specimens, mainly in the form of surface chipping and microchipping accompanied by wear debris.

A clear wear-resistance ranking was established: G10 > B2 > B45 > B23G > B65. Carbide G10 exhibited the highest wear resistance and the lowest surface damage due to its fine WC grain size, high hardness, and low cobalt content. In contrast, B65 and B23G showed more intensive microchipping associated with higher ductility resulting from increased cobalt content and/or coarser WC grains. Carbide B2 exhibited intermediate wear behavior with relatively high variability between specimen edges.

The wear tests did not significantly affect the chemical composition or elastic properties of the investigated carbides. The measured WC and Co contents remained consistent with manufacturer data, while Young’s modulus values ranged from 606 to 711 GPa after testing. The results confirm a strong relationship between WC–Co microstructure and abrasive wear resistance, indicating that fine-grained low-cobalt carbides are most suitable for highly abrasive mining conditions.