Genius Metal Carbide Tool Material

Genius Metal announced that it has successfully developed a tungsten carbide (WC) based carbide tool material. Although this material is still WC based, it is quite different from traditional cemented carbide materials in terms of material composition.
Although some form of cobalt (not pure cobalt) is still one of the material compositions, other alloying components are used in order to bond the cemented carbide grains together. Genius Metal has developed a total of 30 material series and over 170 material grades. In June 2004, the company obtained the first invention patent entitled “Components and Manufacturing Methods for Cemented Carbides”.
According to the company, this WC-based cemented carbide material is unique in its combination of hardness and toughness. The higher end K-2 grade has a hardness of about 2800 HV and a fracture toughness of 8 MPa 0.5. Although traditional WC cemented carbide materials can achieve similar levels of fracture toughness, their hardness is less than 2000 HV.
Of course, the hardness (red hardness) that the tool can maintain during cutting is more important than the hardness of the tool placed on the shelf between the tools (room temperature hardness). Genius Metal's high-hardness grade Gen-62 maintains a red hardness of 1750HK (Knoop hardness) at 900°C. The reason why the red hardness of the material is so high is the increase in the melting point temperature. The eutectic melting temperature of ordinary cemented carbide is about 1300 ~ 1400 ° C, while the eutectic melting temperature of Genius Metal's cemented carbide is higher than 2000 ° C.
Like ordinary cemented carbide, Genius Metal's cemented carbide can also be coated. The company conducted a tool coating test on all commercial coatings without any problems.
Currently, the company is commercializing its new cemented carbide materials, and is considering whether to work with other tool manufacturers to license production or to build their own tool products.