Cemented Carbide Composition for Heat-Resistant PCB Drilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cemented carbides used for cutting tools face challenges in prolonging tool life, particularly when drilling printed circuit boards, due to increased heat resistance requirements from 5G technologies, which affect the cutting performance and durability.
Innovation Solution
A cemented carbide composition comprising 80% by volume of tungsten carbide particles and 0.1% to 20% by volume of a binder phase with 50% by mass cobalt, including elements like titanium, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, or molybdenum, where these elements are not segregated at the interfaces between tungsten carbide particles, enhancing interface strength and resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If conventional cemented carbide with tungsten carbide particles and cobalt binder phase is used, then the material provides basic cutting functionality, but the tool life is insufficient when drilling printed circuit boards due to increased heat resistance requirements from 5G technologies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the cemented carbide by adding specific elements (titanium, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, hafnium, or molybdenum) at controlled concentrations (0.01-10.0 atomic %). This parameter change enhances the material's heat resistance and interface strength, allowing the cutting tool to maintain performance under the increased thermal conditions imposed by 5G technology requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite cemented carbide material by combining tungsten carbide particles with a cobalt-based binder phase and incorporating additional refractory elements. This composite structure provides synergistic effects where the added elements strengthen the interface regions between particles and the binder phase, improving both tool life and reliability under thermal stress from printed circuit board drilling operations.
2Strength
If the binder phase content is increased to improve toughness, then the material becomes more resistant to breakage, but the wear resistance decreases due to higher binder phase content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the binder phase content parameter within a specific range (0.1-20.0 volume %) and modifies the chemical composition by adding refractory elements. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient toughness for breakage resistance while the added elements compensate for wear resistance by strengthening the interface regions, preventing the trade-off from negatively impacting overall performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality enhancement by concentrating the added elements (titanium, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, hafnium, or molybdenum) in the interface regions between tungsten carbide particles. This localized distribution provides enhanced strength and wear resistance at critical interface zones without requiring a reduction in overall binder phase content, thus maintaining toughness while improving wear resistance.
3Ease of manufacture
If the first element is segregated in the interface region between tungsten carbide particles, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the interface strength and overall material performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise compositional parameters (0.01-10.0 atomic % of added elements) and controls the distribution characteristics to prevent segregation. By maintaining these parameter constraints during manufacturing, the process remains feasible while ensuring homogeneous distribution of elements in interface regions, thereby achieving both manufacturing ease and superior interface strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention requires homogeneous distribution of the added elements (titanium, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, hafnium, or molybdenum) within the cemented carbide matrix, particularly in the interface regions between particles. This homogeneity ensures consistent interface strength and material performance throughout the structure, while the specified concentration ranges allow standard manufacturing processes to achieve the desired uniformity without complex segregation control.
Data Source
AI summary
A cemented carbide comprising a plurality of tungsten carbide particles and a binder phase, wherein the cemented carbide comprises a total of 80% by volume or more of the tungsten carbide particles and the binder phase, the cemented carbide comprises 0.1% by volume or more and 20% by volume or less of the binder phase, the cemented carbide comprises at least one first element selected from the group consisting of titanium, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, hafnium, and molybdenum, the cemented carbide comprises a total of 0.01 atomic % or more and 10.0 atomic % or less of the first element, the binder phase comprises 50% by mass or more of cobalt, and the first element is not segregated in a first interface region between the tungsten carbide particles adjacent to each other.