Light weight cemented carbide grade with improved mechanical properties

Abstract

Provided are low weight punches for manufacturing metal beverage cans having a sintered cemented carbide punch composition including a carbide hard phase having tungsten carbide (WC) in an amount of from about 67 wt. % to about 76 wt. % based on a total weight of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition, and a gamma phase having at least titanium (Ti) and niobium (Nb) as gamma phase constituents in an amount of from about 10 wt. % to about 17 wt. % based on a total weight of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition. The sintered cemented carbide punch composition further includes a binder phase including at least cobalt (Co) and chromium (Cr) in an amount of from about 12 wt. % to about 13 wt. % based on a total weight of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition, and a balance of carbon. Methods for producing such low weight cemented carbide punches are further disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sintered cemented carbide punch composition, comprising:
 a carbide hard phase, comprising
 tungsten carbide (WC) in an amount of from about 67 weight percent (wt. %) to about 76 wt. % based on a total weight of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition, and 
 a gamma phase including at least titanium (Ti) and niobium (Nb) as gamma phase constituents in an amount of from about 10 wt. % to about 17 wt. % based on a total weight of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition; 
   a binder phase including at least cobalt (Co) and chromium (Cr) in an amount of from about 12 wt. % to about 13 wt. % based on a total weight of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition; and   a balance of carbon.   
     
     
         2 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 1 , wherein HV30 Vickers hardness of the cemented carbide punch composition ranges from about 1520 HV30 to about 1570 HV30. 
     
     
         3 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 1 , wherein fracture toughness of the cemented carbide punch composition ranges from about 10.2 MPa √m to about 10.6 MPa √m. 
     
     
         4 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 1 , wherein density of the cemented carbide punch composition ranges from about 11.2 g/cm 3  to about 12.5 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         5 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 1 , wherein the WC has a grain size when sintered from about 0.3 μm to about 0.8 μm. 
     
     
         6 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 5 , wherein the WC has a grain size when sintered from about 0.4 μm to about 0.8 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 6 , wherein the WC has a grain size when sintered from about 0.5 μm to about 0.8 μm. 
     
     
         8 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 7 , wherein the WC has a grain size when sintered from about 0.6 μm to about 0.8 μm. 
     
     
         9 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 8 , wherein the WC has a grain size when sintered from about 0.7 μm to about 0.8 μm. 
     
     
         10 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gamma phase constituents have a grain size when sintered from about 0.85 μm to about 1.65 μm. 
     
     
         11 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 10 , wherein the gamma phase constituents have a grain size when sintered from about 1.00 μm to about 1.65 μm. 
     
     
         12 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 11 , wherein the gamma phase constituents have a grain size when sintered from about 1.15 μm to about 1.65 μm. 
     
     
         13 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 12 , wherein the gamma phase constituents have a grain size when sintered from about 1.30 μm to about 1.65 μm. 
     
     
         14 . The sintered cemented carbide punch composition of  claim 13 , wherein the gamma phase constituents have a grain size when sintered from about 1.45 μm to about 1.65 μm. 
     
     
         15 . A method of manufacturing metal beverage cans, comprising:
 using a sintered cemented carbide punch composition in a drawing and a wall ironing operation to form the metal beverage cans, the sintered cemented carbide punch composition, comprising   a carbide hard phase, comprising
 WC in an amount of from about 67 wt. % to about 76 wt. % based on a total weight of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition, and 
 a gamma phase including at least Ti and Nb as gamma phase constituents in an amount of from about 10 wt. % to about 17 wt. % based on a total weight of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition; 
   a binder phase including at least Co and Cr in an amount of from about 12 wt. % to about 13 wt. % based on a total weight of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition; and   a balance of carbon.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein HV30 Vickers hardness of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition ranges from about 1520 HV30 to about 1570 HV30. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein fracture toughness of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition ranges from about 10.2 MPa √m to about 10.6 MPa √m. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein density of the sintered cemented carbide punch composition ranges from about 11.2 g/cm 3  to about 12.5 g/cm 3 .