Influence Of Cobalt Binder Content On The Wear After Corrosion Behaviour Of WC-Co Hardmetals

This study evaluates how cobalt content (3.5 – 50 wt. %) affects the wear after corrosion behaviour of WC-Co hardmetals. Dry sliding wear tests (ASTM G133) were performed both before and after a 10-day immersion in acidic electrolyte solution (0.05 M HCl + 0.5 M NaCl) at room temperature to recreate industrially relevant conditions. Vickers hardness was also measured pre- and post-immersion under the same corrosive conditions. The results quantify the trade-offs between binder fraction, corrosion effects, wear rate, and hardness, providing data to optimize WC–Co formulations for applications subject to simultaneous wear and corrosion.