Fracture Toughness in carbide tools: the performance of our KZ20 grade with 10% Cobalt and regenerated micrograin carbide

In the mechanical tooling industry, the combination of hardness and fracture toughness represents a critical balance for ensuring durable, reliable, and high-performance tools, especially in interrupted cutting operations or applications involving high mechanical stress; performance of our Grade KZ20

The Importance of Fracture Toughness

Fracture toughness measures a material’s ability to resist the propagation of cracks and micro-defects that can lead to tool failure. The higher this value, the greater the reliability and safety of the tool, even under critical conditions such as vibrations, impacts, or sudden load variations.

Our KZ20 Cemented Carbide Grade: Sustainable and High-Performance

To combine sustainability with high performance, Nashira Hardmetals has developed the KZ20 Cemented Carbide grade, a material based on regenerated tungsten carbide processed with special components. This approach improves carbide grain cohesion, stabilizes the microstructure, and enhances the toughness of the material.

We conducted a series of experimental tests using the Palmqvist methodology, obtaining the following average values:

Note: The values were obtained through experimental testing and represent the average of the tested samples.

Vickers Indentation

Comparison with Major International Players

We compared the performance of our grade with three well-known international competitors in the cemented carbide industry:

Note: The values were obtained through experimental testing and represent the average of the tested samples.

Vickers Hardness Comparison

Analysis and Interpretation of the KZ20 Cemented Carbide Grade

Although its hardness is slightly lower compared to competitors, our KZ20 grade demonstrates significantly higher fracture toughness. The average value of 13.89 MPa√m, obtained using the Palmqvist formula, represents an excellent result that positions our material among the top-performing grades on the market in terms of toughness and robustness.

Comparison of the Fracture Toughness of Nashira Hardmetals’ KZ20 Grade with Other Market Players

These results confirm the validity of our technical approach and the capability of our R&D department to develop high-performance materials without compromising a sustainable strategy based on the recovery of critical raw materials.

References

• Vickers Indentation Fracture Toughness of Near-Nano and Nanostructured WC-Co Cemented Carbides
• Fracture Toughness of Cemented Carbides: Testing Method and Microstructural Effects