Fabrication and properties of WC–10Co cemented carbide reinforced by multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) coated with tungsten carbide and WC–10Co nanocrystalline composite powder were mixed by ball-milling in ethanol solution, and this paper adopted spark plasma sintering process to prepare MWCNT–WC–10Co composites. Effects of doping amounts of MWCNTs coated with tungsten carbide on the phases, microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. The results showed that with small doping amount of MWCNTs, the composites without eta and graphite phases were obtained; the sintered composites with fine and homogeneous microstructure combined transverse rupture strength to toughness relationships over that of the monolithic ultrafine WC–10Co cemented carbide fabricated under the same process.