Jo May 18, 2022

Sim Jae Rim, a section head at the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, has established a way of making WC-Co-B4C system electrode material for electric spark alloying and an alloying process by this material so that the service life of tools and machine parts could get more than 2.5 times as long.

B4C in the material has a good effect on the formation of alloying layers since it plays the role as flux which decreases the amount of oxide scale made during electric spark alloying. It also decreases the amount of oxides of low hardness and helps the formation of carbides of high hardness.

The reasonable electric conditions for electric spark alloying by WC-Co-B4C system electrode material are short circuit current I=9A, U=24V, C=420㎌ and t=2min/cm2. The thickness and hardness of an electric spark alloying layer by the new material are higher, that is, 90㎛ and 23.5GPa respectively, compared to 70㎛ and 19.5GPa by previous WC-Co system electrode material.

Electric spark alloying by WC-Co-B4C system electrode material forms alloying layers of high hardness on the surfaces of tools and machine parts, which leads to the lengthening of their working life.