DC Arc Plasma Treatment for Defect Reduction in WC-Co Granulated Powder
Tungsten carbide–cobalt (WC–Co) agglomerated powder is widely used for additive manufacturing and spray coating, and a reduction in internal gaps in the powder is required to obtain a product of high quality. In this paper, we investigate plasma effects on agglomerated powder when WC–12%Co powder is...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-07-01
|
| Series: | Metals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/10/7/975 |
| _version_ | 1827712740963123200 |
|---|---|
| author | Hirotomo Itagaki Taisei Yachi Hisato Ogiso Harumichi Sato Yorihiro Yamashita Junichi Yasuoka Yoshinori Funada |
| author_facet | Hirotomo Itagaki Taisei Yachi Hisato Ogiso Harumichi Sato Yorihiro Yamashita Junichi Yasuoka Yoshinori Funada |
| author_sort | Hirotomo Itagaki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tungsten carbide–cobalt (WC–Co) agglomerated powder is widely used for additive manufacturing and spray coating, and a reduction in internal gaps in the powder is required to obtain a product of high quality. In this paper, we investigate plasma effects on agglomerated powder when WC–12%Co powder is directly subjected to direct current (DC) arc plasma treatment to reduce gaps in the WC–Co powder. We obtain a plasma-treated powder with reduced gaps among WC particles. Furthermore, plasma-treatment improves the sphericity of the powder particles, due to the spheroidization effect, so that the percentage of plasma-treated particles exceeding 95% sphericity is 50%, which is 1.7 times that of raw powder. Concern regarding the possible generation of W<sub>2</sub>C by plasma treatment is unfounded, with W<sub>2</sub>C levels kept very low according to X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, showing a value of 0.0075 for the area ratio W<sub>2</sub>C(002)/WC(100). XRD analysis also reveals that plasma treatment relaxes residual strains in the powder. From these results, the DC plasma treatment of WC agglomerated powder produces a spherical powder with fewer gaps and strains in the powder, making it more suitable for additive manufacturing while suppressing decarburization. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:20:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-64dfe95e23a3424a8fe04454a1a6b9f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4701 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:20:49Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Metals |
| spelling | doaj.art-64dfe95e23a3424a8fe04454a1a6b9f82023-11-20T07:19:41ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012020-07-0110797510.3390/met10070975DC Arc Plasma Treatment for Defect Reduction in WC-Co Granulated PowderHirotomo Itagaki0Taisei Yachi1Hisato Ogiso2Harumichi Sato3Yorihiro Yamashita4Junichi Yasuoka5Yoshinori Funada6Advanced Manufacturing Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8564, JapanMachinery and Material Division, Industrial Research Institute of Ishikawa, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8203, JapanAdvanced Manufacturing Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8564, JapanAdvanced Manufacturing Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8564, JapanMachinery and Material Division, Industrial Research Institute of Ishikawa, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8203, JapanPowlex Co., Ltd, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0002, JapanMachinery and Material Division, Industrial Research Institute of Ishikawa, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8203, JapanTungsten carbide–cobalt (WC–Co) agglomerated powder is widely used for additive manufacturing and spray coating, and a reduction in internal gaps in the powder is required to obtain a product of high quality. In this paper, we investigate plasma effects on agglomerated powder when WC–12%Co powder is directly subjected to direct current (DC) arc plasma treatment to reduce gaps in the WC–Co powder. We obtain a plasma-treated powder with reduced gaps among WC particles. Furthermore, plasma-treatment improves the sphericity of the powder particles, due to the spheroidization effect, so that the percentage of plasma-treated particles exceeding 95% sphericity is 50%, which is 1.7 times that of raw powder. Concern regarding the possible generation of W<sub>2</sub>C by plasma treatment is unfounded, with W<sub>2</sub>C levels kept very low according to X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, showing a value of 0.0075 for the area ratio W<sub>2</sub>C(002)/WC(100). XRD analysis also reveals that plasma treatment relaxes residual strains in the powder. From these results, the DC plasma treatment of WC agglomerated powder produces a spherical powder with fewer gaps and strains in the powder, making it more suitable for additive manufacturing while suppressing decarburization.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/10/7/975cemented carbidetungsten carbideplasma treatmentDC arc plasmaspheroidization |
| spellingShingle | Hirotomo Itagaki Taisei Yachi Hisato Ogiso Harumichi Sato Yorihiro Yamashita Junichi Yasuoka Yoshinori Funada DC Arc Plasma Treatment for Defect Reduction in WC-Co Granulated Powder Metals cemented carbide tungsten carbide plasma treatment DC arc plasma spheroidization |
| title | DC Arc Plasma Treatment for Defect Reduction in WC-Co Granulated Powder |
| title_full | DC Arc Plasma Treatment for Defect Reduction in WC-Co Granulated Powder |
| title_fullStr | DC Arc Plasma Treatment for Defect Reduction in WC-Co Granulated Powder |
| title_full_unstemmed | DC Arc Plasma Treatment for Defect Reduction in WC-Co Granulated Powder |
| title_short | DC Arc Plasma Treatment for Defect Reduction in WC-Co Granulated Powder |
| title_sort | dc arc plasma treatment for defect reduction in wc co granulated powder |
| topic | cemented carbide tungsten carbide plasma treatment DC arc plasma spheroidization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/10/7/975 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hirotomoitagaki dcarcplasmatreatmentfordefectreductioninwccogranulatedpowder AT taiseiyachi dcarcplasmatreatmentfordefectreductioninwccogranulatedpowder AT hisatoogiso dcarcplasmatreatmentfordefectreductioninwccogranulatedpowder AT harumichisato dcarcplasmatreatmentfordefectreductioninwccogranulatedpowder AT yorihiroyamashita dcarcplasmatreatmentfordefectreductioninwccogranulatedpowder AT junichiyasuoka dcarcplasmatreatmentfordefectreductioninwccogranulatedpowder AT yoshinorifunada dcarcplasmatreatmentfordefectreductioninwccogranulatedpowder |