Properties of Cast Tungsten Carbide and Peculiarities of Its Preparation in a Low-Temperature Plasma under Gas Pressure

For cast tungsten carbide, the conditions of preparation in an arc furnace with a consumable electrode under different pressures (up to 9 MPa) in the working chamber have been studied. It has been shown that tungsten carbide decomposes under melting to form a product composed of WC and W₂C phases and free carbon. The results of studying the integral microhardness, grain crush strength, wear resistance, and abrasivity, which grow for carbides synthesized at a higher gas pressure, are presented. It has been shown that the composition of the product and, therefore, its properties can be controlled by varying the tungsten carbide melting conditions. Based on the behavior of refractory compounds at supermelting temperatures, an explanation is given to the obtained results, and a mechanism is proposed for the formation of the structure and properties of tungsten monocarbide melted in a low-temperature plasma.