Far Eastern State Transport University, Khabarovsk, Russia
E. N. Kuzmichev, Associate Professor of the Department of Technosphere Safety, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: accord@festu.khv.ru
Е. N. Drozdov, Associate Professor of the Department of Railway Transport, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: vag5@festu.khv.ru
D. N. Nikitin, Associate Professor of the Department of Railway Transport, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: vag5@festu.khv.ru

The Pacific National University, Khabarovsk, Russia

E. Kh. Ri, Head of the Higher School of Industrial Engineering of the Polytechnic Institute, Doctor of Technical Sciences, e-mail: erikri999@mail.ru

A technology has been developed for the production of finely dispersed tungsten carbide powder based on the plasma-metallurgical synthesis of refractory tungsten-containing mineral concentrates without their complex processing, with simultaneous spheroidization of the resulting powders in a plasma medium. This technological process makes it possible to produce powders of heat-resistant alloys with high sphericity, the necessary fractional composition, uniform distribution of chemical elements and finely dispersed phases. As a result of plasma-metallurgical synthesis of tungsten–containing concentrates, a high-melting WCx W y alloy containing tungsten carbides (WC – W 6C) and pure metallic tungsten (W) was obtained. The microhardness of the HV binding phase reaches 10–14 GPa, and the carbide phase reaches 18–20 GPa. The size of powder particles having a spherical shape is 20–40 microns. Plasma-metallurgical synthesis with a controlled magnetic field makes it possible to obtain crystals of WC carbide and WCxWy complex alloys of spherical shape with a density of 14.7–15.6 g/cm³, a hardness of 90–92 HRC, and a porosity of less than 0.1%, which will ensure high quality products formed using additive technologies. A feature of the proposed plasma-metallurgical synthesis process is that the process of reduction, synthesis and spheroidization of high-melting compounds occurs in one technological step, which results in the production of high-melting tungsten carbide compounds of spherical shape and finely dispersed sizes. The alloy obtained as a result of plasma-metallurgical synthesis can be used for additive SLM printing technologies by direct laser sintering.

1. Gibson I., Rosen D., Struker B., Khorasani A. Additive manufacturing technologies. New York : Springer, 2021. 675 p.
2. Ford S., Despeisse M. Additive manufacturing and sustainability: an exploratory study of the advantages and challenges. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2016. Vol. 137. pp. 1573–1587.
3. Cunningham V., Schrader Ch. A., Young J. T. Navy additive of manufacturing: adding parts, subtracting steps: MBA professional report. Monterey, 2015. 79 p.
4. Polyakh O. A., Rudneva V. V. Plasmometallurgical production of silicon carbide for composite nickel plating and chrome plating : monograph. Moscow : Flinta, Nauka, 2006. 187 p.
5. Rudskoy A. I., Popovich A. A. New materials and additive technologies. Peter the Great SPPU Experience. New materials and technologies: powder metallurgy, composite materials, protective coatings, welding : Proceedings of the 14^th International Scientific and Technical Conference dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Powder Metallurgy in Belarus. Minsk, 2020. pp. 65–75.
6. Rudskoy А. I., Ilyushenko А. F., Vityaz P. А., Kaledina D. Е. Additive technologies. Materials and technological processes : monograph. Saint Petersburg : Polytech-Press, 2021. 516 p.
7. Erasteel. Metal powders for additive manufacturing. Available at: http://www.erasteel.com (accessed: 25.08.2024).
8. Ilyushenko A. F. Additive technologies and powder metallurgy : monograph. Minsk : Medisont, 2019. 257 p.
9. Yadroitsev I., Thivillon L., Bertrand Ph., Smurov I. Strategy of manufacturing components with designed internal structure by selective laser melting of metallic powder. Applied Surface Science. 2007. Vol. 254, Iss. 4. pp. 980–983.
10. Nizovtsev V. Е., Klimov D. А., Stupenkov М. I., Bredikhina Е. N., Bortnikov А. D. Perspectives of application of additive technologies in manufacturing of parts and their knots from ceramic composite materials. Additive technologies: present and future : Proceedings of the IV International Conference. Moscow : VIAM, 2018. pp. 333–340.
11. Eugenov A. G., Nerush S. V., Vasilenko S. A. Preparation and testing of finely dispersed metal powder of a nickel-based high chromium alloy regarding laser LMD surfacing. Trudy VIAM. 2014. No. 5. pp. 10–14.
12. Shishkovsky I. V. Fundamentals of high-resolution additive technologies. Saint Petersburg : Piter, 2016. 400 p.
13. VIAM news. Available at: http://viam.ru (accessed: 25.08.2024).
14. Lu B., Cui X., Feng X., Dong M. et al. Direct rapid prototyping of shape memory alloy with linear superelasticity via plasma arc disposition. Vacuum. 2018. Vol. 157. pp. 65–68.
15. Batienkov R. V., Burkovskaya N. P., Bolshakova A. N., Khudnev A. A. High-temperature composite materials with a metal matrix (review). Trudy VIAM. 2020. No. 6–7. pp. 45–61. DOI: 10.18577/2307-6046-2020-0-67-45-61
16. Boyko V. F. Theoretical foundations of resource conservation and ecologization in the development of placer and ore deposits. Vladivostok : Dalnauka, 2003. 156 p.
17. Kuzmichev E. N., Nikolenko S. V., Balakhonov D. I. Preparation of tungsten carbide from scheelite concentrate using concentrated energy fluxes. Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Engineering. 2018. Vol. 52. pp. 619–623.
18. Kuzmichev E. N., Nikolenko S. V., Chigrin P. G. Preparation of tungsten based metal-ceramic alloys by the plasma chemical synthesis from the mineral concentrate mined in the far eastern region. Materials Science Forum. 2020. Vol. 992. pp. 809–813. DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.992.809