Cemented Carbide Binder Composition for Fracture-Resistant PCB Drills
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cutting tools used for drilling printed circuit boards tend to fracture due to the increased difficulty in cutting advanced circuit boards with high information capacity, leading to a reduced tool life.
Innovation Solution
A cemented carbide composition comprising 89-100% tungsten carbide particles and 0.5-25% cobalt binder phase, with additional elements like silicon, phosphorus, or platinum, and controlled atomic arrangement inconsistencies in cobalt atoms, enhancing hardness, strength, and fracture resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional cemented carbide composition is used, then manufacturing is easier, but tool life is reduced due to fracture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the composition ratios of binder phase components (cobalt 40-80 mass%, nickel 5-30 mass%, copper 5-30 mass%) and tungsten carbide particle size distribution (fine particles 0.5-5 μm, coarse particles 5-10 μm). It also controls the atomic arrangement inconsistency frequency of cobalt atoms at 8-30%, which fundamentally changes the material parameters to achieve both extended tool life and manufacturability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by creating a multi-component binder phase system combining cobalt, nickel, and copper, along with a dual-size tungsten carbide particle mixture. This composite structure leverages the synergistic effects of different materials to achieve superior toughness and wear resistance, resolving the contradiction between tool life and manufacturing ease
2Strength
If binder phase content is increased to improve toughness, then fracture resistance improves, but wear resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the binder phase content to 0.5-25 volume% and precisely controlling the atomic arrangement inconsistency frequency of cobalt atoms at 8-30%. It also adjusts the composition ratios of cobalt (40-80 mass%), nickel (5-30 mass%), and copper (5-30 mass%) to achieve the optimal balance between fracture resistance and wear resistance simultaneously
3Stability of the object's composition
If cobalt atomic arrangement is highly consistent, then material structure is more uniform, but fatigue strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by intentionally introducing atomic arrangement inconsistencies in the cobalt binder phase, controlling the frequency of inconsistency at 8-30%. This controlled asymmetry at the atomic level creates dislocation barriers that enhance fatigue strength, while maintaining overall compositional stability through controlled composition ratios and particle size distribution
Data Source
AI summary
A cemented carbide including tungsten carbide particles and a binder phase, in which the cemented carbide includes 89 vol % to 100 vol % of the tungsten carbide particles and the binder phase in total, the cemented carbide includes 0.5 vol % to 25 vol % of the binder phase; the binder phase includes 40 mass % or more of cobalt, the binder phase further includes at least one first element selected from the group consisting of silicon, phosphorus, germanium, tin, rhenium, ruthenium, osmium, iridium, and platinum, and a frequency of inconsistency in atomic arrangements of cobalt atoms in a rectangular measurement region provided in a TEM-HAADF image obtained by observing a (110) plane of the cobalt having an fcc structure using an atomic resolution transmission electron microscope, in which the rectangular measurement region contains 31 cobalt atoms in a first direction and 5 to 10 cobalt atoms in a second direction, is 8% or more and 30.0% or less.