Cemented carbides, known as the "teeth of industry", are widely used in aerospace, resource mining, equipment manufacturing, rail transit, and electronic information industries, among others. Additive manufacturing (AM) technology provides a new route for preparing geometrically complex cemented carbide parts. In this paper, we review the progress in respect of AM technology in WC-Co cemented carbides. We first introduce the two technology routes for AM of WC-Co cemented carbides: powder bed fusion (PBF), based on hot forming technology (e.g., selective laser sintering, selective laser melting, and selective electron beam melting), and forming–debinding–sintering (FDS), based on green-body cold forming along with debinding and sintering processes (e.g., binder jetting additive manufacturing–debinding–sintering, fused deposition modeling–debinding–sintering, and 3D gel printing–debinding–sintering). Furthermore, we analyze the key influencing factors in respect of the densification, metallurgical defects, microstructure evolution, and mechanical properties of WC-Co cemented carbides prepared using AM. We conclude that the critical problem in preparing WC-Co cemented carbides via PBF is the prevention of cracking and reducing porosity to improve the relative density, as well as avoiding the η phase. However, although FDS has shortcomings, including complex feedstock preparation (binder) and a long technological process, this technology shows promise for preparing high-performance WC-Co cemented carbides, because it sufficiently combines the advantages of AM and powder metallurgy. Finally, we identify and delineate the current research gaps and prospects of AM in respect of WC-Co cemented carbides from four aspects. 

Additive manufacturing of WC-Co cemented carbides: process, microstructure, and mechanical properties

Ceramic matrix composites like cermets are difficult candidates to be fabricated by additive manufacturing (AM). Green cermets like the TiC-430 L AISI ferritic stainless steel (430 L-FSS) have been fabricated using the AM process like laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) process or also known as selective laser melting (SLM). Multiple laser scanning was employed as a tool to preheat and melt the powder bed with different laser scanning parameters for each (two laser scans namely pre-heating scan and melting scan) scan to fabricate crack-free cermets. As a part of the preheating scanning (PHS) and melting scans (MS), different laser energy parameters are used to study the microstructure evolution and to study their densification process and mechanical properties. Lowering the preheating and melting scan speed results in prolonged laser exposure and higher temperature in the powder bed and melt pool, which led to the refinement of the microstructure due to higher cooling rate and generation of the cracks in the as-built parts caused by thermal gradient in the melt pool. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were performed to study the microstructure and phase analysis of the fabricated sample. Mechanical properties like density, hardness, fracture toughness, and compression tests were performed and discussed in detail. The results suggest that the laser PHS can effectively eliminate the presence of cracks. On the other hand, increasing the energy density of both PHS and MS results in a coarser microstructure with porosity, which also hampers the fracture toughness of these SLM fabricated cermets. 

Effect of powder bed preheating on the crack formation and microstructure in ceramic matrix composites fabricated by laser powder-bed fusion process

In recent years, the use of cermets has shown significant growth in the industry due to their interesting features that combine properties of metals and ceramics, and there are different possible types of cermets, depending on their composition. This review focuses on cemented tungsten carbides (WC), and tungsten carbonitrides (WCN), and it is intended to analyze the relationship between chemical composition and processing techniques of these materials, which results in their particular microstructural and mechanical properties. Moreover, the use of cermets as a printing material in additive manufacturing or 3D printing processes has recently emerged as one of the scenarios with the greatest projection, considering that they manufacture parts with greater versatility, lower manufacturing costs, lower raw material expenditure and with advanced designs. Therefore, this review compiled and analyzed scientific papers devoted to the synthesis, properties and uses of cermets of TiC and WC in additive manufacturing processes reported thus far.

Ti(C,N) and WC-Based Cermets: A Review of Synthesis, Properties and Applications in Additive Manufacturing.

SLM printing of cermet powders: Inhomogeneity from atomic scale to microstructure

Additive manufacturing of TiC-based cermets: A detailed comparison with spark plasma sintered samples

Laser-based additive manufacturing of cemented carbides (WC-Co) remains challenging due to crack forming and residual porosity. Reduction of temperature gradients by high preheating temperatures and successive thermal treatments are starting points for improving the quality of additively manufactured components. Thermal post-treatment is beneficial for the final densification and homogenization of the microstructure. In this study, hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and sinter-HIP are used for thermal post-treatment of additively manufactured parts of WC-12Co. Both methods use elevated temperatures and pressures for densification. Densification during the sinter-HIP process is achieved by liquid phase sintering, while in the HIP process, compaction is expected by plastic deformation of the material. The effect of these both methods for post-treatment on microstructure and fracture strength is investigated in this study. Subsequently, tungsten carbide grain size, as well as the composition of the binder phase, are related to these results. 

Influence of post heat treatment on microstructure and fracture strength of cemented carbides manufactured using laser-based additive manufacturing

In this study, the influence of carbon content on fatigue strength of fine grade cemented carbides (WC-12Co) was investigated. Thereby, the carbon content was varied systematically in the two- and three-phase region. Specimens from the different alloys were fabricated and tested in flat bending fatigue experiments. Results show no significant influence of the carbon content as long as no graphite was precipitated. In accordance with findings in the literature, the fatigue strength decreases significantly when graphite precipitations occur. Both, wavelength dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (WDS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used for analysis of the chemical composition of the binder phase. No significant influence of the global carbon content on the morphology of WC-grains as well as the local carbon content in the cobalt-binder was found. 

Influence of carbon content on fatigue strength of cemented carbides

Influence of Post Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Fracture Strength of Wc-Co Manufactured Using Pbf-Lb

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/srin.201900511

Laser-Based Additive Manufacturing of WC–Co with High-Temperature Powder Bed Preheating†

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Papers

Influence of post heat treatment on microstructure and fracture strength of cemented carbides manufactured using laser-based additive manufacturing

Influence of carbon content on fatigue strength of cemented carbides

Influence of Post Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Fracture Strength of Wc-Co Manufactured Using Pbf-Lb

Laser-Based Additive Manufacturing of WC–Co with High-Temperature Powder Bed Preheating†