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**Chapter 3** 

© 2012 Madej, licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

© 2012 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

There are two methods by which tungsten carbide powders are produced from the tungsten-bearing ores. Traditionally, tungsten ore is chemically processed to ammonium paratungstate and tungsten oxides. These compounds are then hydrogen-reduced to tungsten metal powder. The fine tungsten powders are blended with carbon and heated in a

**Tungsten Carbide as an Addition** 

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

of commercial high speed steel powders with the carbides.

Marcin Madej

**1. Introduction** 

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/51243

**to High Speed Steel Based Composites** 

Design criteria for high strength tool materials have to include wear resistance of the abrasive particle, high hardness and adequate toughness. Cold compaction and vacuum sintering of PM high speed steels (HSSs) to full density is now a well established technique [1-3]. In recent years, work has been undertaken to sinter metal matrix composites that contain ceramic particles in HSSs by the same route. Most studies have focused on sintering with additions of hard ceramics such as Al203, VC, NbC, TiC, WC and TiN with the aim of producing a more wear resistant HSS type material [4-18]. These composite materials have been developed for wear resistance applications as attractive alternative to the more expensive cemented carbides. Compared with high strength steels, these composite materials have higher hardness, wear resistance and elastic modulus. However, depending on size and distribution, the addition of brittle ceramic particles may cause degradation of bend strength and toughness owing to the initiation of cracks at or near the reinforcing particles. In order to ensure good bonding at the ceramic/matrix interfaces, the ceramic particles must exhibit some reactivity with the matrix. In contrast to Al2O3, which presents no interface reactions with the iron matrix, the diffusion of iron from the matrix into the MC carbide particles establishes a good cohesion across the ceramic/matrix interface. Besides, these carbides are stable in contact with iron during sintering and do not dissolve extensively. Therefore, MC particles were chosen as the reinforcement. A cheap and easy route to develop high speed steels reinforced with MC carbides consists of mixing powders

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