Performance of tungsten carbide recycling

Recycling tungsten carbide (WC) from waste hard alloy anvils not only contributes to sustainability but also enhances the material’s performance in various industrial applications. The process involves meticulous ball milling and sieving which results in fine, high-quality WC particles that exhibit unique physical properties compared to native tungsten carbide.

Comparative Analysis of Recycled and Native Tungsten Carbide

Particle Size and Distribution:

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• Recycled Tungsten Carbide: After recovery and processing, these particles are significantly finer, with a substantial 59.7% of them ranging between 1-2 μm and an average size of 1.54 μm. The distribution is notably narrow, showing a unimodal distribution curve.
• Native Tungsten Carbide: In contrast, native particles average at 14.2 μm and have a broader, multimodal distribution curve. However, post ball milling, both recycled and native WC particles align closer in size, with most particles falling into the 0.5-1.0 μm range and exhibiting similar unimodal distributions.

Morphological Differences:

• The recycled tungsten carbide particles maintain complete crystalline shapes with smooth-edged, individual, triangular, and elongated forms. This is indicative of a uniform particle distribution and fewer internal defects.
• Conversely, native tungsten carbide particles are generally irregular large aggregates with indistinct grain boundaries, lacking complete crystalline structures.

Performance Metrics

Structural Integrity and Performance:

• The recycled WC retains structural integrity better due to the preservation of grain structures during the electrolytic separation and sintering processes.
• The WC-10Co alloy made from recycled WC not only matches but slightly exceeds the performance of native WC alloys in terms of flexural strength, impact toughness, and multiple impact resistance.

Fracture Toughness and Wear Resistance:

• The fracture toughness of the recycled WC alloy appears slightly superior to that of the native alloy.
• Wear resistance tests also reveal that the recycled WC alloy has a marginally higher wear resistance compared to the native WC alloy YG10C (ISO K20).

Microstructure Observations:

• The microstructure of the recycled alloy demonstrates clear grain boundaries and uniform grain distribution with low interconnectivity.
• The native WC alloy, while containing some coarse WC grains, exhibits blurred grain boundaries and a more uneven microstructure with higher interconnectivity.

Conclusion

The detailed analysis and comparison of recycled versus native tungsten carbide reveal that recycling not only preserves but potentially enhances certain key properties of WC. These findings underscore the viability of recycling as a method to produce high-performance mining hard alloys. This approach not only supports environmental sustainability but also offers a cost-effective alternative for industries relying on tungsten carbide. The results from this study advocate for broader adoption and continuous improvement in recycling practices within the tungsten carbide industry, potentially leading to significant advancements in material science and engineering applications.