Tribological properties of a binderless carbide

The tribological properties of a binderless carbide (BL) have been evaluated in abrasion and sliding wear tests. Conventional cemented carbides and ceramics were used as reference materials. The worn surfaces were studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and SEM were used to analyze the microstructure of the BL. Zn abrasion, the wear rates of the BL were in-between those of the conventional cemented carbides and the ceramics. The main wear mechanisms were preferential removal of titanium carbide and grooving of tungsten carbide grains. In dry sliding tests, the BL did not show any transitions from low to high wear levels, which is in contrast to the reference ceramics. For all materials, water lubrication reduced the friction compared to the dry tests. Lubrication with an acidic water solution reduced the friction coefficients even further. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.