Electrical Discharge Machining of Tungsten Carbide‐Cobalt Composites

Abstract

Increasing the current, the frequency, or the pulse duration up to certain values increased the speed of cutting and rate of removal. The amount of liquid smearing the cavities prcduced by dislodging the WC grain and microcracks increased with increasing cobalt content and/or WC grain size. Depletion of carbon and formation of W 2 C and WC 1−x were detected on the surface. An analysis of debris showed that, in addition to melting the cobalt matrix, metallic vapors are formed and condense to hollow noncrystalline spheres which deformed and condense to hollow noncrystalline spheres which deform and crystallize if crushed.