Pressure-volume-temperature characteristics of cemented carbide feedstocks

Pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) characteristics of highly filled cemented carbide powder compounds were investigated on a high-pressure mercury dilatometer. The compounds containing cemented carbide powder and three components polymeric binder varied in the volume content of powder and the powder characteristics (particle size distribution and mean particle size). PVT data was found to be dependent on volume content (0-50 vol.%) of carbide powder in compounds; with increasing powder content, the discrepancies in a specific volume at applied pressure decreased, whereas melting temperatures remained unaffected as a polymeric binder was powder-filled (confirmed also with differential scanning calorimetry). Volumetric thermal expansion coefficient and compressibility were linearly and exponentially, respectively, dependent on pressure. Further, studied carbide compounds showed weakly pronounced shifts in volumetric thermal expansion coefficients and compressibility obtained for powders differing in their characteristics.