Effects of Electropulsing Treatment on Microstructure and Properties of Cemented Carbide (WC-15Co)

Abstract

Electropulsing treatment (EPT) is a promising postprocessing method to optimize microstructure. In the present work, the EPT was applied to treat cemented carbide (WC-15Co). The electropulse-induced microstructural evolution in WC-15Co was investigated. Compared with the untreated sample, the transverse rupture strength and electrical resistance of the treated sample were reduced. However, there was no significant change in the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microstructure. Therefore, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were carried out to detail the microstructural evolution. This process revealed that electropulsing could promote the recrystallization and the transition of e-Co to a-Co, as well as the evolution of microstructure. In addition, the dislocations in the treated sample were significantly fewer than those in the untreated sample.

Rejuvenation of degraded Zener diodes with the electron wind force

“…One candidate method is electropulsing, which has been demonstrated to control defect density in metals and alloys. [25][26][27] We extend the concept to the semiconductor devices, recognizing that the channels and vicinity can be annealed by the effect of the electron wind force (EWF). Our recent study 28) demonstrated the rejuvenation of Ti/4H-SiC Schottky barrier diodes using high density current pulses.…”