Experimental investigation and thermodynamic modelling of WC-Fe-Ni-Co-Cr cemented carbides

This work investigates the effect of Cr addition into the FeCoNi binder phase of the cemented carbides (WC-FeCoNi) using experimental and computational techniques. Liquid phase formation temperatures and C contents of WC-Fe-Ni-Co-Cr alloys were used as experimental results. Based on this, a thermodynamic modelling was conducted on the W-C-Fe-Ni-Co-Cr system using the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams) approach. Taking into account the experimental and theoretical results, it was shown that the error in the solidus and liquidus temperatures were lower in the database generated in this work in comparison to the commercial thermodynamic databases for steels and cemented carbides. Using the database developed in the present work, the experimental data can be well reproduced. In addition, the maximum solubility of Cr to avoid the formation of Cr-rich carbides was also deduced from this study. •A thermodynamic database for the W-C-Fe-Co-Cr-Ni system was developed.•The developed database can predict the phase transition temperatures in better agreement with the experimental values than the commercial thermodynamic databases.•The solubility limit for Cr in the binder phase was also deduced from this study.