Effect of sintering temperature on mechanical properties of WC-cBN-SiCw composites with multi-scale and multi-morphology toughening strategy

•The WC-cBN-SiCw composite containing multi-scale and multi-morphology toughening strategy was prepared.•Sintered at 1300℃, the Vickers hardness and fracture toughness achieve the maximum value.•The toughening mechanism attributes to the construction of strong–weak mixed interface. The binderless WC cemented carbide was synthesized with multi-scale and multi-morphology toughening strategy by Spark Plasma Sintering. The influence of sintering temperature on the mechanical properties of WC-cBN-SiCw was investigated. The result showed that the Vickers hardness and fracture toughness initially increase and then decrease with the increase of sintering temperature. As the sintering temperature reaches 1300℃, the best Vickers hardness and fracture toughness can be obtained, 12.8 GPa and 10.6 MPa.m1/2 respectively. The toughening mechanism can be attributed to the strong and weak mixed interface characteristic constructed by micro and nano particles, which induce crack deflection and crack bridging. Meanwhile, the adhesion of nanoparticles on SiC whisker enhances the resistance of whisker pull out, which promotes the consumption of fracture energy.