B09.06 - Cemented Carbides

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method allows the nondestructive measurement of the magnetic fraction of the binder phase in cemented carbide powder materials and sintered product, and may be used as an indirect measure of the carbon level in the material or product.  
5.2 Measurement of magnetic saturation provides a comparison of the relative fraction of magnetic binder phase, that is, cobalt, nickel, or iron, present in the material and can be used for acceptance of product to specification.  
5.3 Measurement of magnetic saturation can be used as a measure of the quality of powder material.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of magnetic saturation (Ms) of cemented carbide powder materials and sintered products using magnetic saturation induction test instrumentation.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. An exception is the use of Gauss-cm3 per gram, which is a longstanding industry practice.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Measurement of coercivity provides a relative comparison of carbide grain size, binder content, and possibly carbon deficiency for a given graded carbide material or product, and may be employed as a non-destructive measurement indicating deviation from a specified norm.  
5.2 This test method allows the non-destructive estimate of average carbide grain size in sintered cemented carbide hardmetals. It is appropriate for a wide range of compositions and tungsten carbide (WC) WC grain sizes, and can be used for acceptance of material or product to specification.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of magnetization coercivity (Hcs) of cemented carbide materials and products using coercive force instrumentation. It is patterned after ISO 3326.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The microstructure of a cemented carbide affects the material's mechanical and physical properties. This guide is not intended to be used as a specification for carbide grades. Producers and users may use the microstructural information as a guide in developing their own specifications.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers apparatus and procedures for the metallographic identification of microstructures in cemented carbides.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Precautions applying to use of hazardous laboratory chemicals should be observed for chemicals specified in Table 1.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 Rockwell hardness testing is one of the more important methods used to evaluate cemented carbides. For compositional groups of cemented carbides, hardness is an indication of wear resistance and toughness. Lower hardness grades usually indicate less wear resistance but greater toughness. For a specific grade of cemented carbide, hardness is an indication of the metallurgical quality of the material. In no case is Rockwell hardness testing the only test method to be considered in evaluating cemented carbides.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the hardness testing of cemented carbides by use of a Rockwell hardness tester performing tests in the Rockwell HRA scale (regular scale, diamond indenter, 10 kgf (98.07 N) preliminary test force, and 60 kgf (588.4 N) total test force) in the range of Rockwell 80 HRA and above. Also covered are the procedures for the testing and selection of diamond indenters, the management and traceability of the four levels of standardized test blocks, and the making and calibration of Primary, Secondary, and Working standardized test blocks.  
1.2 The Rockwell hardness tester is a convenient and reliable means of measuring the hardness of cemented carbides. A hardness value is obtained easily, but it is subject to considerable error unless certain precautions are observed.  
1.3 The latest version of Test Methods E18 shall be followed, except where otherwise indicated in this test method.  
1.4 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard except that force and length values associated with the Rockwell hardness testers will comply with E18 with force values specified as N (kgf) and indenter length values specified as mm.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The property KIcSR determined by this test method is believed to characterize the resistance of a cemented carbide to fracture in a neutral environment in the presence of a sharp crack under severe tensile constraint, such that the state of stress near the crack front approaches tri-tensile plane strain, and the crack-tip plastic region is small compared with the crack size and specimen dimensions in the constraint direction. A KIcSR value is believed to represent a lower limiting value of fracture toughness. This value may be used to estimate the relation between failure stress and defect size when the conditions of high constraint described above would be expected. Background information concerning the basis for development of this test method in terms of linear elastic fracture mechanics may be found in Refs (1-7).3  
5.2 This test method can serve the following purposes:  
5.2.1 To establish, in quantitative terms significant to service performance, the effects of fabrication variables on the fracture toughness of new or existing materials, and  
5.2.2 To establish the suitability of a material for a specific application for which the stress conditions are prescribed and for which maximum flaw sizes can be established with confidence.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the fracture toughness of cemented carbides (KIcSR) by testing slotted short rod or short bar specimens.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The microstructure and grain growth of cemented tungsten carbides affect the material's mechanical and physical properties. The grain size and distribution will affect the material's wear resistance and fracture toughness. Abnormally large grains as compared to the background may introduce an area of weakness in a sintered part.  
5.2 This test method may be used in acceptance testing of cemented tungsten carbide materials or the tungsten carbide powder used in their manufacture. The specified grain size used for the E-Rating is to be agreed upon between purchaser and supplier.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for measuring abnormally large grains and the frequency of those grains in cemented tungsten carbides (hardmetals).  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Cemented carbide materials may contain small voids that, depending on the application, may affect the performance of the product. To assist users in specifying the maximum acceptable level of porosity, this test method illustrates a broad range of porosity levels for each of three porosity types. This test method is not intended to be used as a specification, but the levels shown here may be cited in specifications written by producers and users of cemented carbides.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method specifies procedures for the metallographic determination of apparent porosity in cemented carbides.  
Note 1: The term “apparent porosity” is construed to mean all microstructures observed on a properly prepared, unetched surface, including structures resulting from uncombined carbon, non-metallic inclusions, etc., as well as true, inherent porosity.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 This test method is used as a means of determining the quality of cemented carbide grade powders by measuring their sintered strength. It is performed on test specimens prepared to specified shape, dimensions, and surface finish; test specimens may be prepared from finished parts if size permits. There is no known standard material for this test method. The transverse rupture strength of cemented carbides is not a design value.  
3.1.1 Most commercial cemented carbides have mechanical behavior that is best classified as brittle (negligible ductility). Fracture strengths are dependent on internal or surface flaws. Examples of incoherent internal flaws are macropores, Type B porosity (see Test Method B276), and inclusions of foreign particles. Such flaws are randomly distributed spatially and in size within the sintered material. This imparts a statistical nature to any transverse rupture strength measurement.  
3.1.2 The stress distribution in a beam in three-point loading is non-uniform. It increases linearly along the span to a maximum at the center, and varies linearly through any section from compression on the top to tension on the bottom. The maximum tensile stress therefore occurs at center span in the bottom most fibers of the sample, and is defined as the transverse rupture strength at failure. Failure is initiated at a random flaw site, which is most probably not coincident with the maximum stress. This imparts an additional statistical nature to transverse rupture strength measurements.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method2 covers the determination of the transverse rupture strength of cemented carbides.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The SI values in parentheses are provided for information only.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method allows the determination of the chemical composition of powdered and sintered tungsten-based hardmetals. This test method is not applicable to material which will not oxidize readily at high temperatures in air, such as tungsten/copper, tungsten/silver alloys, or tungsten/cobalt-ruthenium alloys.  
5.2 This test method specified lithium-borate compounds for the glass fusion material. However, numerous other choices are available. These include other lithium-borate compounds, sodium carbonate and borate mixtures, and others. The methodology specified here is still applicable as long as the same fusion mixture is used for both standards and specimens.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for the determination of the concentration, generally reported as mass percent, of the metallic constituents of tungsten-based alloys and hardmetals utilizing wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). This test method incorporates the preparation of standards using reagent grade metallic oxides, lithium-borate compounds, and fusion techniques. This test method details techniques for preparing representative specimens of both powder and sintered tungsten-based material. This test method is accurate for a wide range of compositions, and can be used for acceptance of material to grade specifications.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to mixtures of tungsten or tungsten carbide with additions of refractory metal carbides and binder metals. Table 1 lists the most common elemental constituents and their concentration range. Note that many of these occur as metallic carbides.    
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 This sample preparation procedure may be used to prepare metallographic samples for Guide B657. It does not include all variations of sample preparation.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide prescribes a method for preparing cemented carbides for metallographic examination.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Measurement of coercivity provides a relative comparison of carbide grain size, binder content, and possibly carbon deficiency for a given graded carbide material or product, and may be employed as a non-destructive measurement indicating deviation from a specified norm.  
5.2 This test method allows the non-destructive estimate of average carbide grain size in sintered cemented carbide hardmetals. It is appropriate for a wide range of compositions and tungsten carbide (WC) WC grain sizes, and can be used for acceptance of material or product to specification.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of magnetization coercivity (Hcs) of cemented carbide materials and products using coercive force instrumentation. It is patterned after ISO 3326.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method allows the nondestructive measurement of the magnetic fraction of the binder phase in cemented carbide powder materials and sintered product, and may be used as an indirect measure of the carbon level in the material or product.  
5.2 Measurement of magnetic saturation provides a comparison of the relative fraction of magnetic binder phase, that is, cobalt, nickel, or iron, present in the material and can be used for acceptance of product to specification.  
5.3 Measurement of magnetic saturation can be used as a measure of the quality of powder material.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of magnetic saturation (Ms) of cemented carbide powder materials and sintered products using magnetic saturation induction test instrumentation.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The microstructure of a cemented carbide affects the material's mechanical and physical properties. This guide is not intended to be used as a specification for carbide grades. Producers and users may use the microstructural information as a guide in developing their own specifications.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers apparatus and procedures for the metallographic identification of microstructures in cemented carbides.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Precautions applying to use of hazardous laboratory chemicals should be observed for chemicals specified in Table 1.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 Rockwell hardness testing is one of the more important methods used to evaluate cemented carbides. For compositional groups of cemented carbides, hardness is an indication of wear resistance and toughness. Lower hardness grades usually indicate less wear resistance but greater toughness. For a specific grade of cemented carbide, hardness is an indication of the metallurgical quality of the material. In no case is Rockwell hardness testing the only test method to be considered in evaluating cemented carbides.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the hardness testing of cemented carbides by use of a Rockwell hardness tester performing tests in the Rockwell HRA scale (regular scale, diamond indenter, 10 kgf (98.07 N) preliminary test force, and 60 kgf (588.4 N) total test force in the range of Rockwell 80 HRA and above. Also covered are the procedures for the testing and selection of diamond indenters, the management and traceability of the four levels of standardized test blocks, and the making and calibration of Primary, Secondary, and Working standardized test blocks.  
1.2 The Rockwell hardness tester is a convenient and reliable means of measuring the hardness of cemented carbides. A hardness value is obtained easily, but it is subject to considerable error unless certain precautions are observed.  
1.3 The latest version of Test Methods E18 shall be followed except where otherwise indicated in this test method.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard except that force and length values associated with the Rockwell hardness testers will comply with E18 with force values specified as N (kgf) and indenter length values specified as mm.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The property KIcSR determined by this test method is believed to characterize the resistance of a cemented carbide to fracture in a neutral environment in the presence of a sharp crack under severe tensile constraint, such that the state of stress near the crack front approaches tri-tensile plane strain, and the crack-tip plastic region is small compared with the crack size and specimen dimensions in the constraint direction. A KIcSR value is believed to represent a lower limiting value of fracture toughness. This value may be used to estimate the relation between failure stress and defect size when the conditions of high constraint described above would be expected. Background information concerning the basis for development of this test method in terms of linear elastic fracture mechanics may be found in Refs (1-7).3  
5.2 This test method can serve the following purposes:  
5.2.1 To establish, in quantitative terms significant to service performance, the effects of fabrication variables on the fracture toughness of new or existing materials, and  
5.2.2 To establish the suitability of a material for a specific application for which the stress conditions are prescribed and for which maximum flaw sizes can be established with confidence.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the fracture toughness of cemented carbides (KIcSR) by testing slotted short rod or short bar specimens.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The microstructure and grain growth of cemented tungsten carbides affect the material's mechanical and physical properties. The grain size and distribution will affect the material's wear resistance and fracture toughness. Abnormally large grains as compared to the background may introduce an area of weakness in a sintered part.  
5.2 This test method may be used in acceptance testing of cemented tungsten carbide materials or the tungsten carbide powder used in their manufacture. The specified grain size used for the E-Rating is to be agreed upon between purchaser and supplier.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for measuring abnormally large grains and the frequency of those grains in cemented tungsten carbides (hardmetals).  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 This test method is used as a means of determining the quality of cemented carbide grade powders by measuring their sintered strength. It is performed on test specimens prepared to specified shape, dimensions, and surface finish; test specimens may be prepared from finished parts if size permits. There is no known standard material for this test method. The transverse rupture strength of cemented carbides is not a design value.  
3.1.1 Most commercial cemented carbides have mechanical behavior that is best classified as brittle (negligible ductility). Fracture strengths are dependent on internal or surface flaws. Examples of incoherent internal flaws are macropores, Type B porosity (see Test Method B276), and inclusions of foreign particles. Such flaws are randomly distributed spatially and in size within the sintered material. This imparts a statistical nature to any transverse rupture strength measurement.  
3.1.2 The stress distribution in a beam in three-point loading is non-uniform. It increases linearly along the span to a maximum at the center, and varies linearly through any section from compression on the top to tension on the bottom. The maximum tensile stress therefore occurs at center span in the bottom most fibers of the sample, and is defined as the transverse rupture strength at failure. Failure is initiated at a random flaw site, which is most probably not coincident with the maximum stress. This imparts an additional statistical nature to transverse rupture strength measurements.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method2 covers the determination of the transverse rupture strength of cemented carbides.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The SI values in parentheses are provided for information only.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Cemented carbide materials may contain small voids that, depending on the application, may affect the performance of the product. To assist users in specifying the maximum acceptable level of porosity, this test method illustrates a broad range of porosity levels for each of three porosity types. This test method is not intended to be used as a specification, but the levels shown here may be cited in specifications written by producers and users of cemented carbides.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method specifies procedures for the metallographic determination of apparent porosity in cemented carbides.  
Note 1: The term “apparent porosity” is construed to mean all microstructures observed on a properly prepared, unetched surface, including structures resulting from uncombined carbon, non-metallic inclusions, etc., as well as true, inherent porosity.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method allows the determination of the chemical composition of powdered and sintered tungsten-based hardmetals. This test method is not applicable to material which will not oxidize readily at high temperatures in air, such as tungsten/copper or tungsten/silver alloys.  
5.2 This test method specified lithium-borate compounds for the glass fusion material. However, numerous other choices are available. These include other lithium-borate compounds, sodium carbonate and borate mixtures, and others. The methodology specified here is still applicable as long as the same fusion mixture is used for both standards and specimens.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for the determination of the concentration, generally reported as mass percent, of the metallic constituents of tungsten-based alloys and hardmetals utilizing wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). This test method incorporates the preparation of standards using reagent grade metallic oxides, lithium-borate compounds, and fusion techniques. This test method details techniques for preparing representative specimens of both powder and sintered tungsten-based material. This test method is accurate for a wide range of compositions, and can be used for acceptance of material to grade specifications.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to mixtures of tungsten or tungsten carbide with additions of refractory metal carbides and binder metals. Table 1 lists the most common elemental constituents and their concentration range. Note that many of these occur as metallic carbides. TABLE 1 Elemental Constituents and Concentration Range    
Element  
Concentration, Mass %
(minimum - maximum)    
Chromium (Cr)  
0.05 - 5.0  
Cobalt (Co)  
0.05 - 40    
Hafnium (Hf)  
0.05 - 2.0  
Iron (Fe)  
0.05 - 2.0  
Molybdenum (Mo)  
0.05 - 5.0  
Nickel (Ni)  
0.05 - 30    
Niobium (Nb)  
0.05 - 15    
Tantalum (Ta)  
0.05 - 30    
Titanium (Ti)  
0.05 - 30    
Vanadium (V)  
0.05 - 2.0
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 This sample preparation procedure may be used to prepare metallographic samples for Test Method B657 and Practice B390. It does not include all variations of sample preparation.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide prescribes a method for preparing cemented carbides for metallographic examination.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The microstructure and grain growth of cemented tungsten carbides affect the material's mechanical and physical properties. The grain size and distribution will affect the material's wear resistance and fracture toughness. Abnormally large grains as compared to the background may introduce an area of weakness in a sintered part.  
5.2 This test method may be used in acceptance testing of cemented tungsten carbide materials or the tungsten carbide powder used in their manufacture. The specified grain size used for the E-Rating is to be agreed upon between purchaser and supplier.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for measuring abnormally large grains and the frequency of those grains in cemented tungsten carbides (hardmetals).  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Measurement of coercivity provides a relative comparison of carbide grain size, binder content, and possibly carbon deficiency for a given graded carbide material or product, and may be employed as a non-destructive measurement indicating deviation from a specified norm.
This test method allows the non-destructive estimate of average carbide grain size in sintered cemented carbide hardmetals. It is appropriate for a wide range of compositions and tungsten carbide (WC) WC grain sizes, and can be used for acceptance of material or product to specification.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of magnetization coercivity (Hcs) of cemented carbide materials and products using coercive force instrumentation. It is patterned after ISO 3326.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method allows the nondestructive measurement of the magnetic fraction of the binder phase in cemented carbide powder materials and sintered product, and may be used as an indirect measure of the carbon level in the material or product.
Measurement of magnetic saturation provides a comparison of the relative fraction of magnetic binder phase that is, cobalt, nickel, or iron, present in the material and can be used for acceptance of product to specification.
Measurement of magnetic saturation can be used as a measure of the quality of powder material.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of magnetic saturation (Ms) of cemented carbide powder materials and sintered products using magnetic saturation induction test instrumentation.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The property KIcSR determined by this test method is believed to characterize the resistance of a cemented carbide to fracture in a neutral environment in the presence of a sharp crack under severe tensile constraint, such that the state of stress near the crack front approaches tri-tensile plane strain, and the crack-tip plastic region is small compared with the crack size and specimen dimensions in the constraint direction. A KIcSR value is believed to represent a lower limiting value of fracture toughness. This value may be used to estimate the relation between failure stress and defect size when the conditions of high constraint described above would be expected. Background information concerning the basis for development of this test method in terms of linear elastic fracture mechanics may be found in Refs (1-4).  
This test method can serve the following purposes:
To establish, in quantitative terms significant to service performance, the effects of fabrication variables on the fracture toughness of new or existing materials, and
To establish the suitability of a material for a specific application for which the stress conditions are prescribed and for which maximum flaw sizes can be established with confidence.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the fracture toughness of cemented carbides (KIcSR) by testing slotted short rod or short bar specimens.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The microstructure of a cemented carbide affects the material’mechanical and physical properties. This guide is not intended to be used as a specification for carbide grades. Producers and users may use the microstructural information as a guide in developing their own specifications.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers apparatus and procedures for the metallographic determination of microstructures in cemented tungsten carbides.  
1.2  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Precautions applying to use of hazardous laboratory chemicals should be observed for chemicals specified in Table 1.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The property KIcSR determined by this test method is believed to characterize the resistance of a cemented carbide to fracture in a neutral environment in the presence of a sharp crack under severe tensile constraint, such that the state of stress near the crack front approaches tri-tensile plane strain, and the crack-tip plastic region is small compared with the crack size and specimen dimensions in the constraint direction. A KIcSR value is believed to represent a lower limiting value of fracture toughness. This value may be used to estimate the relation between failure stress and defect size when the conditions of high constraint described above would be expected. Background information concerning the basis for development of this test method in terms of linear elastic fracture mechanics may be found in Refs (1-4).  
This test method can serve the following purposes:
To establish, in quantitative terms significant to service performance, the effects of fabrication variables on the fracture toughness of new or existing materials, and
To establish the suitability of a material for a specific application for which the stress conditions are prescribed and for which maximum flaw sizes can be established with confidence.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the fracture toughness of cemented carbides (KIcSR) by testing slotted short rod or short bar specimens.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Cemented carbide materials may contain small voids that, depending on the application, may affect the performance of the product. To assist users in specifying the maximum acceptable level of porosity, this test method illustrates a broad range of porosity levels for each of three porosity types. This test method is not intended to be used as a specification, but the levels shown here may be cited in specifications written by producers and users of cemented carbides.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method specifies procedures for the metallographic determination of apparent porosity in cemented carbides.
Note 1—The term “apparent porosity” is construed to mean all microstructures observed on a properly prepared, unetched surface, including structures resulting from uncombined carbon, non-metallic inclusions, etc., as well as true, inherent porosity.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method is used as a means of determining the quality of cemented carbide grade powders by measuring their sintered strength. It is performed on test specimens prepared to specified shape, dimensions, and surface finish; test specimens may be prepared from finished parts if size permits. There is no known standard material for this test method. The transverse rupture strength of cemented carbides is not a design value.
Most commercial cemented carbides have mechanical behavior that is best classified as brittle (negligible ductility). Fracture strengths are dependent on internal or surface flaws. Examples of incoherent internal flaws are macropores, Type B porosity (see Test Method B276), and inclusions of foreign particles. Such flaws are randomly distributed spatially and in size within the sintered material. This imparts a statistical nature to any transverse rupture strength measurement.
The stress distribution in a beam in three-point loading is non-uniform. It increases linearly along the span to a maximum at the center, and varies linearly through any section from compression on the top to tension on the bottom. The maximum tensile stress therefore occurs at center span in the bottom most fibers of the sample, and is defined as the transverse rupture strength at failure. Failure is initiated at a random flaw site, which is most probably not coincident with the maximum stress. This imparts an additional statistical nature to transverse rupture strength measurements.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the transverse rupture strength of cemented carbides.
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The SI values in parentheses are provided for information only.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Rockwell hardness testing is one of the more important methods used to evaluate cemented carbides. For compositional groups of cemented carbides, hardness is an indication of wear resistance and toughness. Lower hardness grades usually indicate less wear resistance but greater toughness. For a specific grade of cemented carbide, hardness is an indication of the metallurgical quality of the material. In no case is Rockwell hardness testing the only test method to be considered in evaluating cemented carbides.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the hardness testing of cemented carbides by use of a Rockwell hardness tester performing tests in the Rockwell HRA scale (regular scale, diamond indenter, 10 kgf (98.07 N) preliminary test force, and 60 kgf (588.4 N) load) in the range of Rockwell 80 HRA and above. Also covered are the procedures for the testing and selection of diamond indenters, the management and traceability of the four levels of standardized test blocks, and the making and calibration of Primary, Secondary, and Working standardized test blocks.
1.2 The Rockwell hardness tester is a convenient and reliable means of measuring the hardness of cemented carbides. A hardness value is obtained easily, but it is subject to considerable error unless certain precautions are observed.
1.3 The latest version of Test Methods E18 shall be followed except where otherwise indicated in this test method.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard except that force and length values associated with the Rockwell hardness testers will comply with E18 with force values specified as N (kgf) and indenter length values specified as mm.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This sample preparation procedure may be used to prepare metallographic samples for Test Method B 657 and Practice B 390. It does not include all variations of sample preparation.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide prescribes a method for preparing cemented carbides for metallographic examination.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method allows the nondestructive measurement of the magnetic fraction of the binder phase in cemented carbide powder materials and sintered product, and may be used as an indirect measure of the carbon level in the material or product.
Measurement of magnetic saturation provides a comparison of the relative fraction of magnetic binder phase that is, cobalt, nickel, or iron, present in the material and can be used for acceptance of product to specification.
Measurement of magnetic saturation can be used as a measure of the quality of powder material.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of magnetic saturation (Ms) of cemented carbide powder materials and sintered products using magnetic saturation induction test instrumentation.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Measurement of coercivity provides a relative comparison of carbide grain size, binder content, and possibly carbon deficiency for a given graded carbide material or product, and may be employed as a non-destructive measurement indicating deviation from a specified norm.
This test method allows the non-destructive estimate of average carbide grain size in sintered cemented carbide hardmetals. It is appropriate for a wide range of compositions and tungsten carbide (WC) WC grain sizes, and can be used for acceptance of material or product to specification.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of magnetization coercivity (Hcs) of cemented carbide materials and products using coercive force instrumentation. It is patterned after ISO 3326.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The microstructure and grain growth of cemented tungsten carbides affect the material's mechanical and physical properties. The grain size and distribution will affect the material's wear resistance and fracture toughness. Abnormally large grains as compared to the background may introduce an area of weakness in a sintered part.
This test method may be used in acceptance testing of cemented tungsten carbide materials or the tungsten carbide powder used in their manufacture. The specified grain size used for the E-Rating is to be agreed upon between purchaser and supplier.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for measuring abnormally large grains and the frequency of those grains in cemented tungsten carbides (hardmetals).
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method allows the determination of the chemical composition of powdered and sintered tungsten-based hardmetals. This test method is not applicable to material which will not oxidize readily at high temperatures in air, such as tungsten/copper or tungsten/silver alloys.
This test method specified lithium-borate compounds for the glass fusion material. However, numerous other choices are available. These include other lithium-borate compounds, sodium carbonate and borate mixtures, and others. The methodology specified here is still applicable as long as the same fusion mixture is used for both standards and specimens.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for the determination of the concentration, generally reported as mass percent, of the metallic constituents of tungsten-based alloys and hardmetals utilizing wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). This test method incorporates the preparation of standards using reagent grade metallic oxides, lithium-borate compounds, and fusion techniques. This test method details techniques for preparing representative specimens of both powder and sintered tungsten-based material. This test method is accurate for a wide range of compositions, and can be used for acceptance of material to grade specifications.
1.2 This test method is applicable to mixtures of tungsten or tungsten carbide with additions of refractory metal carbides and binder metals. Table 1 lists the most common elemental constituents and their concentration range. Note that many of these occur as metallic carbides.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Rockwell hardness is one of the more important properties used to evaluate cemented carbides. For compositional groups of cemented carbides, hardness is an indication of wear resistance and toughness. Lower hardness grades usually indicate less wear resistance but greater toughness. For a specific grade of cemented carbide, hardness is an indication of the metallurgical quality of the material. In no case is hardness the only property to be considered in evaluating cemented carbides.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the hardness testing of cemented carbides by use of the Rockwell hardness tester with the Rockwell A scale (diamond indenter and 588.4 N (60 kgf) load) in the range of Rockwell A80 and above. Also covered are the procedures for the testing and selection of diamond indenters, the management and traceability of the four levels of standard test blocks, the acquisition of secondary standard test blocks, and the making and calibration of working standard test blocks.
1.2 The Rockwell hardness tester is a convenient and reliable means of measuring the hardness of cemented carbides. A hardness value is obtained easily, but it is subject to considerable error unless certain precautions are observed.
1.3 Test Methods E 18 shall be followed except where otherwise indicated in this test method.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Rockwell hardness is one of the more important properties used to evaluate cemented carbides. For compositional groups of cemented carbides, hardness is an indication of wear resistance and toughness. Lower hardness grades usually indicate less wear resistance but greater toughness. For a specific grade of cemented carbide, hardness is an indication of the metallurgical quality of the material. In no case is hardness the only property to be considered in evaluating cemented carbides.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the hardness testing of cemented carbides by use of the Rockwell hardness tester with the Rockwell A scale (diamond indenter and 588.4 N (60 kgf) load) in the range of Rockwell A80 and above. Also covered are the procedures for the testing and selection of diamond indenters, the management and traceability of the four levels of standard test blocks, the acquisition of secondary standard test blocks, and the making and calibration of working standard test blocks.
1.2 The Rockwell hardness tester is a convenient and reliable means of measuring the hardness of cemented carbides. A hardness value is obtained easily, but it is subject to considerable error unless certain precautions are observed.
1.3 Test Methods E 18 shall be followed except where otherwise indicated in this test method.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The property KIcSR determined by this test method is believed to characterize the resistance of a cemented carbide to fracture in a neutral environment in the presence of a sharp crack under severe tensile constraint, such that the state of stress near the crack front approaches tri-tensile plane strain, and the crack-tip plastic region is small compared with the crack size and specimen dimensions in the constraint direction. A KIcSR value is believed to represent a lower limiting value of fracture toughness. This value may be used to estimate the relation between failure stress and defect size when the conditions of high constraint described above would be expected. Background information concerning the basis for development of this test method in terms of linear elastic fracture mechanics may be found in Refs (1-4).3  
This test method can serve the following purposes:
5.2.1 To establish, in quantitative terms significant to service performance, the effects of fabrication variables on the fracture toughness of new or existing materials, and
5.2.2 To establish the suitability of a material for a specific application for which the stress conditions are prescribed and for which maximum flaw sizes can be established with confidence.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the fracture toughness of cemented carbides (K IcSR) by testing slotted short rod or short bar specimens.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Cemented carbide materials may contain small voids that, depending on the application, may affect the performance of the product. To assist users in specifying the maximum acceptable level of porosity, this test method illustrates a broad range of porosity levels for each of three porosity types. This test method is not intended to be used as a specification, but the levels shown here may be cited in specifications written by producers and users of cemented carbides.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method specifies procedures for the metallographic determination of apparent porosity in cemented carbides. Note 1The term "apparent porosity" is construed to mean all microstructures observed on a properly prepared, unetched surface, including structures resulting from uncombined carbon, non-metallic inclusions, etc., as well as true, inherent porosity.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method specifies procedures for the metallographic determination of apparent porosity in cemented carbides. Note 1 The term "apparent porosity" is construed to mean all microstructures observed on a properly prepared, unetched surface, including structures resulting from uncombined carbon, non-metallic inclusions, etc., as well as true, inherent porosity.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The microstructure of a cemented carbide affects the material’mechanical and physical properties. This guide is not intended to be used as a specification for carbide grades. Producers and users may use the microstructural information as a guide in developing their own specifications.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers apparatus and procedures for the metallographic determination of microstructures in cemented tungsten carbides.  
1.2  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Precautions applying to use of hazardous laboratory chemicals should be observed for chemicals specified in Table 1.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method is used as a means of determining the quality of cemented carbide grade powders by measuring their sintered strength. It is performed on test specimens prepared to specified shape, dimensions, and surface finish; test specimens may be prepared from finished parts if size permits. There is no known standard material for this test method. The transverse rupture strength of cemented carbides is not a design value.
3.1.1 Most commercial cemented carbides have mechanical behavior that is best classified as brittle (negligible ductility). Fracture strengths are dependent on internal or surface flaws. Examples of incoherent internal flaws are macropores, Type B porosity (see Test Method B 276), and inclusions of foreign particles. Such flaws are randomly distributed spatially and in size within the sintered material. This imparts a statistical nature to any transverse rupture strength measurement.
3.1.2 The stress distribution in a beam in three-point loading is non-uniform. It increases linearly along the span to a maximum at the center, and varies linearly through any section from compression on the top to tension on the bottom. The maximum tensile stress therefore occurs at center span in the bottom most fibers of the sample, and is defined as the transverse rupture strength at failure. Failure is initiated at a random flaw site, which is most probably not coincident with the maximum stress. This imparts an additional statistical nature to transverse rupture strength measurements.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the transverse rupture strength of cemented carbides.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The SI values in parentheses are provided for information only.  
1.3  This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The microstructure and grain growth of cemented tungsten carbides affect the material’mechanical and physical properties. The grain size and distribution will affect the material’wear resistance and fracture toughness. Abnormally large grains as compared to the background may introduce an area of weakness in a sintered part.
This test method may be used in acceptance testing of cemented tungsten carbide materials or the tungsten carbide powder used in their manufacture. The specified grain size used for the E-Rating is to be agreed upon between purchaser and supplier.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for measuring abnormally large grains and the frequency of those grains in cemented tungsten carbides (hardmetals).
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method allows the non-destructive measurement of the magnetic fraction of the binder phase in cemented carbide powder materials and sintered product, and may be used as an indirect measure of the carbon level in the material or product.
Measurement of magnetic saturation provides a comparison of the relative fraction of magnetic binder phase that is, cobalt, nickel, or iron, present in the material and can be used for acceptance of product to specification.
Measurement of magnetic saturation can be used as a measure of the quality of powder material.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of magnetic saturation (Ms) of cemented carbide powder materials and sintered products using magnetic saturation induction test instrumentation.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Measurement of coercivity provides a relative comparison of carbide grain size, binder content, and possibly carbon deficiency for a given graded carbide material or product, and may be employed as a non-destructive measurement indicating deviation from a specified norm.
This test method allows the non-destructive estimate of average carbide grain size in sintered cemented carbide hardmetals. It is appropriate for a wide range of compositions and tungsten carbide (WC) WC grain sizes, and can be used for acceptance of material or product to specification.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of magnetization coercivity (Hcs) of cemented carbide materials and products using coercive force instrumentation. It is patterned after ISO 3326.
1.2 The values in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This sample preparation procedure may be used to prepare metallographic samples for Test Method B 657 and Practice B 390. It does not include all variations of sample preparation.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide prescribes a method for preparing cemented carbides for metallographic examination.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for the determination of the concentration, generally reported as mass percent, of the metallic constituents of tungsten-based alloys and hardmetals utilizing wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). This test method incorporates the preparation of standards using reagent grade metallic oxides, lithium-borate compounds, and fusion techniques. This test method details techniques for preparing representative specimens of both powder and sintered tungsten-based material. This test method is accurate for a wide range of compositions, and can be used for acceptance of material to grade specifications.
1.2 This test method is applicable to mixtures of tungsten or tungsten carbide with additions of refractory metal carbides and binder metals. lists the most common elemental constituents and their concentration range. Note that many of these occur as metallic carbides.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This procedure for the visual comparison and classification of the apparent grain size and distribution of cemented tungsten carbides is limited to cemented tungsten carbides that contain approximately 6, 10, and 18% cobalt.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method specifies procedures for the metallographic determination of apparent porosity in cemented carbides.
Note 1--The term "apparent porosity" is construed to mean all microstructures observed on a properly prepared, unetched surface, including structures resulting from uncombined carbon, non-metallic inclusions, etc., as well as true, inherent porosity.
1.2  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the transverse rupture strength of cemented carbides.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The SI values in parentheses are provided for information only.  
1.3  This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the transverse rupture strength of cemented carbides.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The SI values in parentheses are provided for information only.  
1.3  This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.