Tungsten carbides and W-C phase diagram

The crystal structures of the tungsten monocarbide δ-WC and the disordered lower carbide β-W2C are studied. Using magnetic susceptibility measurements, the hexagonal carbide δ-WC is shown to be stable from 300 to 1200 K. The sequence of phase transformations associated with β-W2C ordering is analyzed. The temperature and composition stability limits of the cubic carbide γ-WC1−x are evaluated, and the first data are presented on the variation of its lattice parameter with composition. An optimized W-C phase diagram is proposed which takes into account detailed structural and phase-equilibrium data for tungsten carbides.