Liquid-Phase Sintering of Tungsten Carbide-Cobalt by Laser Radiation

Laser Sintering is a powder metallurgical process. The principle of Laser Sintering is based on a local densification of powdered materials as a result of the absorption of laser radiation. Through a cyclic repetition of material application, densification and the lowering of a build-up plate, a three dimensional geometry develops. Within the Laser Sintering (liquid-phase sintering) of tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) the low melting material, the metal binder phase cobalt, is temporarily transferred into the liquid phase. The high melting WCphase is not melted and remains fine dispersed in the metal binder phase after cooling of the material.