Tungsten carbide grains were usually prism-shaped triangular platelets in cemented tungsten carbide materials, owing to the highly anisotropic nature of tungsten carbide grains. The misorientation distribution function exhibited a preferred misorientation relationship between WC/WC crystals. The misorientation relationship was characterized as 90º misorientation about the [10▪0] axis. The carbide/carbide boundaries with 90º rotation about the [10▪0] axis were low-energy boundaries and played an important role in grain growth and densification during sintering. The evolution of carbide/carbide boundaries with 90º rotation about the [10▪0] axis during the sintering process was determined quantitatively here by using orientation imaging microscopy. The evolution of boundaries was correlated with grain growth. The rapid grain growth at early stages of sintering was attributed to coalescence of grains along the 90º low-energy boundaries. The origin of these boundaries and their role in grain growth during sintering were also discussed.

An Analysis of Grain Boundaries and Grain Growth in Cemented Tungsten Carbide using Orientation Imaging Microscopy. V.Kumar, Z.Z.Fang, S.I.Wright, M.M.Nowell: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 2006, 37[3], 599-607