COBALT IS A STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT ELEMENT, AND MINIMIZING ITS USE IS A PROBLEM OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE.

COBALT IS A STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT ELEMENT, AND MINIMIZING ITS USE IS A PROBLEM OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE. COBALT IS USED IN CEMENTED CARBIDES, PARTICULARLY TUNGSTEN CARBIDE-COBALT, WHICH ARE IN TURN USED FOR METAL CUTTING, MINING TOOLS, WIRE DRAWING DIES AND THE LIKE. IN THIS PROPOSAL, TRA SUGGESTS A NOVEL WAY TO IMPROVE THE PROPERTIES OF WC-CO ALLOYS, AND THUS IMPROVE THE USE LIFE OF SUCH ALLOYS IN CUTTING TOOLS, MINING TOOLS, ETC. TRA EXPECTS THAT WC-CO ALLOYS OF HIGHER HARDNESS AT A FIXED RUPTURE STRENGTH AND/OR HIGHER STRENGTH AT FIXED HARDNESS CAN BE PREPARED BY THE NOVEL PROCESS. TRA FURTHER EXPECTS THAT THE USE LIFE OF SUCH NEW MATERIALS WILL BE GROSSLY IMPROVED. THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL OCCUR BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING MODIFICATIONS: (A) THE TUNGSTEN CARBIDE WILL BE SLIGHTLY FINER GRAINED THAN IN CONVENTIONAL ALLOYS, (B) CARBON CONTENT WILL BE VERY TIGHTLY CONTROLLED, AND (C) THE COBALT WILL BE OXIDE DISPERSION STRENGTHENED.