High-temperature oxidation-wear properties of Ru-doped cermet

The oxidation-wear properties of WC-Co cermet at high temperatures were remarkably enhanced by Ru addition for increasing life expectancy of cermet tools in high-speed cutting processes. The oxidation-resistant mechanisms of Co with substitutional Ru were disclosed by calculating the energy barrier for oxygen adsorption and diffusion in Co with and without Ru doping. Particularly, the oxidation of WC was effectively inhibited due to the suppression of reactions between cobalt oxides and WO3. Thus less cracking occurred in the Ru-containing cermet as its tribolayer contained fewer oxides with low shear resistance, which in turn protected the subsurface materials from further oxidation.