Effect of size and location of spherical pores on transverse rupture strength of WC-Co cemented carbides

The effect of the size and location of spherical pores on the transverse rupture strength of WC-10Co cemented carbides was investigated. Based on the observations of fractographics of the transverse rupture test specimens, it was found that the cracks in WC-10Co cemented carbides initiate from the spherical closed pores near the surface, not from the open pores at the surface. The relationship between the transverse rupture strength and the size and location of the spherical pores was analyzed considering the stress field near the spherical shaped pores. In this analysis, for one spherical pore, a critical location exists within the specimen where the transverse rupture strength is minimized, but not on the surface of the specimen. By considering the various sizes and locations of pores, a map showing the transverse rupture strength according to the location and size of pores was obtained. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.