Effect of vanadium carbide on microstructure and properties of cemented carbide manufactured by binder jetting additive manufacturing

The control of WC grain size homogeneity in cemented carbide produced by binder jetting additive manufacturing （BJAM） is crucial for optimizing its mechanical properties；however， related studies remain limited. This research investigates the effect of vanadium carbide （VC） addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of WC-12Co cemented carbide to prevent abnormal WC grain growth. The results demonstrate that the addition of VC significantly improves the surface roughness of WC-12Co cemented carbides. Specifically， the addition of 0.5%（mass fraction， the same below） VC and 1.0%VC reduces the surface roughness by 21.49% and 17.77%， respectively. Compared to the plain WC-12Co carbide without VC， the average WC grain size in the cemented carbides with 0.5%VC and 1.0%VC decreases from 1.83 μm to 1.57 μm and 1.61 μm， respectively. VC effectively inhibits abnormal WC grain growth and promotes a more uniform distribution of WC grain sizes. Furthermore， the addition of 0.5%VC increases the Vickers hardness by 3.3% and the bending strength by around 3%. Additionally， VC incorporation significantly reduces the friction coefficient and the wear rate of the BJAMed carbides， enhancing their wear resistance. These findings suggest that VC addition offers a promising strategy for improving the performance of cemented carbides in additive manufacturing， providing a valuable technical route for further development in this field.