Keywords
Abstract
This study investigates an efficient method for producing powder materials from
WC–Co hard alloy wastes by extracting cobalt into molten zinc (Zn), followed by zinc removal.
During processing, liquid zinc penetrates the alloy structure and dissolves cobalt through diffusion,
leading to embrittlement of the WC skeleton and its subsequent conversion into powder. The
microstructure and physico-mechanical properties of the recovered WC powders were analyzed under
laboratory conditions. The results demonstrated that regenerated WC powders possess a high degree of
dispersion, uniform microstructure, and mechanical characteristics that meet industrial standards. The
hard alloys produced from recycled powders exhibited hardness values of 86.5–90 HRA, density of
14.35–14.7 g/cm³, and transverse rupture strength of 1940–2560 MPa. The study also highlights the
ecological and energy-efficient advantages of the electro-erosion dispersion (EED) technology in
processing hard alloy wastes. Overall, the findings confirm the feasibility of obtaining high-quality
powder materials using these methods for industrial-scale applications.