Enhanced mechanical and tribological properties of oscillatory pressure sintered WC-GNPs composites

It remains as a challenge to develop binderless WC ceramics that integrate high mechanical properties and low friction wear. Here, we report the preparation of strong and tough WC ceramics with low wear rate by adding graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and using oscillatory pressure sintering (OPS) process. The introduced GNPs lead to the formation of nearly fully dense composites with the aid of an oscillatory pressure. The OPS-prepared WC-0.3-wt% GNPs composites reached a high flexural strength, hardness, and fracture toughness, being up to 1420 MPa, 24.9 GPa, and 6.89 MPa m(1/2), respectively. Moreover, a low friction wear rate of 3.17 x 10(-7) mm(3) N-1 m(-1) is achieved for such composites, which can be ascribed to the formation of a friction lubrication film during dry sliding friction process and their higher mechanical properties.