Measuring the fracture toughness of single WC grains of cemented carbides by means of microcantilever bending and micropillar splitting

The main goal of this work is to obtain a reliable value the fracture toughness single grains tungsten carbide (WC). It attempted by testing microcantilever and micropillar samples shaped out, means focused ion beam milling, individual WC particles embedded within WC-Co cemented grade. Experimental included use nanoindenter for inducing bending splitting, as well sampling with basal prismatic orientations. results are compared those previously assessed through implementation indentation microfracture technique. Bending notched microcantilevers yielded more consistent than measured out splitting tests. In regard, average grains, two-phase interpenetrated network existing in carbides, found be 5.6 ± 0.8 MPa·m1/2. Such relatively high – coherent local plastic features evidenced nanoindentation imprints - satisfactory agreement indirectly estimated from other macromechanical