Infiltration studies of additive manufacture of WC with Co using binder jetting and pressureless melt method

Additive manufacturing (AM) of tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) is explored starting with WC preforms shaped with binder jet additive manufacturing (BJAM) followed by melt infiltration of Co. The research objective is to demonstrate the ability to net-shape WC-Co composites through BJAM of a WC preform followed by backfilling with cobalt via pressureless infiltration. This method also has the potential to minimize shrinkage and grain growth compared to other AM techniques. The effects of sintering, Co content, and infiltration time on the net shaping and properties of processed composites are shown. The best shaped material had an average grain size of 5.1 μm, 32 vol.% Co, density of 98.54% theoretical, fracture toughness of 23.2 MPa m^1/2, and hardness of 9.0 GPa. Data presented illustrates that the proposed approach results in favorable ceramic-metal (cermet) properties and is viable for fabricating cermets of other material combinations. Successful AM of cermets provides complex geometries, high throughout, and low costs.