<p>The object of this work is to obtain a fundamentalunderstanding of the principal issues concerning the handlingof an aqueous WC-Co powder suspension.</p><p>The WO3 surface layer on the oxidised tungsten carbidepowder dissolves at pH>3 with the tungsten concentrationincreasing linearly with time. Adding cobalt powder to thetungsten carbide suspension resulted in a significant reductionof the dissolution rate at pH<10. Electrokinetic studiesindicated that the reduced dissolution rate may be related tothe formation of surface complexes; the experiments showed thatCo species in solution adsorb on the oxidised tungsten carbidepowder.</p><p>The surface forces of oxidised tungsten and cobalt surfaceswere investigated using the atomic force microscope (AFM)colloidal probe technique. The interactions at various ionicstrengths and pH values are well described by DLVO theory. Theadsorption of cobalt ions to tungsten oxide surfaces resultedin an additional non-DLVO force and a reduced absolute value ofthe surface potential. It was shown that the adsorption ofpoly(ethylene imine) (PEI) to the WO3 surfaces induces anelectrosteric repulsion.</p><p>The properties of spray-dried WC-Co granules were related tothe WC primary particle size, and the poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) binder and PEI dispersant content in aqueous WC-Cosuspensions. The granule characterisation includes a new methodfor measuring the density of single granules. The increase inthe fracture strength of granules produced from suspensionsthat were stabilised with PEI was related to a more densepacking of the WC-Co particles.</p><p>The AFM was used to study the friction and adhesion ofsingle spray-dried WC-Co granules containing various amounts ofPEG binder. The adhesion and friction force between two singlegranules (intergranular friction) and between a granule and ahard metal substrate (die-wall friction) have been determinedas a function of relative humidity. The granule-wall frictionincreases with binder content and relative humidity, whereasthe granule-granule friction is essentially independent of therelative humidity and substantially lower than the granule-wallfriction at all PEG contents.</p><p><b>Key words:</b>Hard Metal, Cemented Carbide, WC-Co, TungstenCarbide, Cobalt, Oxidation, Dissolution, Surface Complexation,XPS, AFM, Colloidal Probe, Hamaker Constant, Cauchy, WO3,CoOOH, ESCA, Zeta-Potential, Surface Potential, Poly(ethyleneimine), PEI, Suspension, van der Waals, Steric, Spray-Dried,Poly(ethylene glycol), Strength, Density, Friction, Adhesion,Granule, PEG, Pressing, FFM.</p>

<p>Cemented carbides (WC-Co) are powder metallurgical products produced by liquid phase sintering. WC-Co is widely used for making a large variety of cutting tools, such as drills and inserts turning applications, due to its great mechanical properties, where the hardness of the WC grains is combined with the toughness of the of the Co binder. WC grain size and grain size distribution are the two most important factors to control the mechanical properties of the products.</p><p>This study examined the grain growth dependence of different milling and sintering times. The resulting grain size and grain size distribution were measured using image analysis on scanning electron microscopy images (SEM) and by using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). In addition, the correlation between hardness and coercivity, the most common indirect measures of grain size, and different methods of calculating average grain radius were investigated. An attempt was also made to study the contribution of defects to grain growth. This work also includes an overview of various grain growth equations and a numerical implementation of these.</p><p>Experimental results show that for shorter sintering times, powders milled for short times (15 min and 1 h) have larger average grain radii. There is a crossover after 6 to 8 h of sintering, where the powders milled for a long time (40 h and 200 h), have larger average radii. The measured hardness values correlate well with the average grain radius calculated from the grain surface area and the coercivity correlates with the established equations. EBSD measurements detected boundaries that could not be detected by image analysis, and that were not Sigma 2 boundaries. It is likely that these boundaries are either low energy boundaries or boundaries between grains that are very closely oriented. Comparing heat-treated powder with the untreated resulted in a lower average grain size after sintering for the heat-treated powder. None of the growth equations investigated in this work could fully describe the experimental grain growth.</p><p>Through increased understanding of the grain growth, the growth can be controlled and the end product can have the desired tool properties. The occurrence of abnormal grains in cutting tool applications can cause breakage, which is especially important to avoid in applications such as PCB drills. A correlation between hardness and grain size provides further means for cheap and fast indirect measures of the grain size in production.</p> / <p>Hårdmetall är ett pulvermetallurgiskt material som tillverkas genom smältfassintring och som kännetecknas av hårdhet, styvhet och god slitstyrka. Volframkarbidens (WC) kornstorlek och kornstorleksfördelning är två viktiga faktorer för att kontrollera de mekaniska egenskaperna i hårdmetall.</p><p>I den här studien har korntillväxtens beroende på malning och sintring undersökts. WC-Co maldes och sintrades fyra olika tider och kornstorleksfördelningen mättes med bildanalys på svepelektronmikroskopbilder samt med ``electron backscatter diffraction'' (EBSD). I arbetet har även korrelationen mellan hårdhet, koercivitet och olika sätt att beräkna medelkornstorleken undersökts. Ett försök har också genomförts för att studera hur defekterna i det malda pulvret påverkar korntillväxten. I arbetet har även ett flertal olika tillväxtekvationer modellerats numeriskt och för och nackdelar med de olika tillväxtekvationerna har vägts mot varandra.</p><p>En lång maltid (40 h och 200 h) visade sig ge liten kornstorlek för sintring kortare än 6 h, men för sintringar längre än 8 h gav istället kort malning (15 min och 1 h) den mindre kornstorleken. Det visade sig att uppmätt hårdhet korrelerar bäst med den medelkornstorleksradie som räknats fram från kornytan. I EBSD mätningarna kunde man observera ett flertal korngränser, utöver Sigma 2 korngränser, som inte hade detekterats med bildanalys. Värmebehandlingen av det malda pulvret minskade korntillväxten under efterföljande sintring. Ingen av de undersökta tillväxtekvationerna kunde beskriva de experimentella resultaten fullt ut.</p><p>Genom ökad förståelse för korntillväxt kan man kontrollera tillväxten och slutprodukten kan få önskade egenskaper. Förekomsten av abnorm korntillväxt i skärverktyg i hårdmetall är en av de vanligaste kritiska defekterna och det är speciellt viktigt är undvika korntillväxt i tillverkning av små verktyg, som till exempel kretskortsborrar. Hårdhet och koercivitet är de vanligaste indirekta mätmetoderna för att mäta kornstorlek i produktion. En bra korrelation mellan kornstorlek och indirekta mätmetoder ger utökade verktyg för snabba och billiga mätningar.</p>

Gelfill (GF) is made of tailings, water, binder and chemical additives (Fillset, sodium silicate gel). The components of GF are combined and mixed on the surface and transported (by gravity and/or pumping) to the underground mine workings, where the GF can be used for both underground mine support and tailings storage. Thermal (T), hydraulic (H), and mechanical (M) properties are important performance criteria of GF. The understanding of these engineering properties and their evolution with time are still limited due to the fact that GF is a new cemented backfill material. In this thesis, the evolution of the thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and microstructural properties of small GF samples are determined. Various binder contents of Portland cement type I (PCI) are used. The GF is cured for 3, 7, 28, 90, and 120 days. It is found that the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical properties are time-dependent or affected by the degree of binder hydration index. Furthermore, a relationship is found between the compressive strength and the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the GF samples. The unsaturated hydraulic properties of GF samples have also been investigated. The outcomes show that unsaturated hydraulic conductivity is influenced by the degree of binder hydration index and binder content, especially at low suction ranges. Simple functions are proposed to predict the evolution of air-entry values (AEVs), residual water content, and fitting parameters from the van Genuchten model with the degree of hydration index (α). Furthermore, two columns are built to simulate the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) behaviour of GF under drained and undrained conditions. The obtained results from the GF columns are compared with the small samples. It is observed that the mechanical properties, hydraulic properties (suction and water content), and temperature development are strongly coupled. The magnitude of these THM coupling factors is affected by the size of the GF. The findings also show that the mechanical, hydraulic and thermal properties of the GF columns are different from samples cured in plastic moulds.

Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / The nickel-based superalloys have a high mechanical strength which remains at elevated temperature, high creep and fatigue resistances and excellent oxidation resistance. This makes these alloys highly recommended for use in high temperature working environments such as mechanical components for the aerospace industry. However, these characteristics are major problems when machining them, as it promotes high heat generation in the flow zone, resulting in the development of high wear rates on the cutting tools. In order to reduce the problems caused by the high temperatures generated, the application of a cutting fluid, when possible, is essential to reduce friction at the chip-tool-workpiece interfaces and lower the temperatures in the cutting zone. Seeking to further increase in the efficiency of cutting fluids during machining of nickel alloys, this work presents a study of the influence of solid lubricants, graphite and molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) mixed to a vegetal based cutting fluid, applied by conventional method (flooding) and minimal quantity of fluid - MQF in turning of Inconel 718 with carbide and ceramic (mixed, whisker and SiAlON) tools. When turning with cemented carbide tools the addition of graphite to the cutting fluid provided the best results, while with ceramic tools MoS2 presented the best performance. The life of the carbide tool had an average increase above 200% in conventional flooding application of cutting fluid when compared to MQF, regardless the addition of solid lubricant. The addition of solid lubricants promoted an increase in the life of whisker and SiAlON tools. The flank wear was dominant for cemented carbide tools and SiAlON ceramics, while for whisker and mixed ceramics the notch wear was predominant. Attrition and diffusion wear mechanism were observed in all evaluated conditions. The addition of solid lubricant to the cutting fluid provided significant improvements in the surface roughness values for most of the evaluated conditions. However, there were no significant changes in the machining forces and cutting temperature. The residual stress was tensile and compression, depending on the fluid application method. Overall, the addition of solid lubricant showed no significant differences. / As superligas à base de níquel apresentam alta resistência mecânica que se mantém em elevadas temperaturas, altas resistência à fluência e à fadiga e excelente resistência a oxidação. Isso torna estas ligas altamente recomendadas para utilização em ambientes que trabalham a altas temperaturas, como por exemplo na fabricação de componentes mecânicos para a indústria aeroespacial. Entretanto, esta característica representa um grande problema quando elas são usinadas, pois promove elevada geração de calor na zona de fluxo, implicando no desenvolvimento de altas taxas de desgaste da ferramenta de corte. A fim de reduzir os problemas causados pelas altas temperaturas geradas, a aplicação de um fluido de corte, quando possível, é essencial, proporcionando redução do atrito na interface cavaco-ferramenta-peça e menores temperaturas na zona de corte. Na busca de aumentar ainda mais a eficiência dos fluidos de corte na complexa usinagem das ligas de níquel, este trabalho apresenta um estudo da influência dos lubrificantes sólidos grafite e bissulfeto de molibdênio (MoS2) misturado a um fluido de corte de base vegetal, aplicados pelo método convencional (jorro) e mínima quantidade de fluído MQF, no torneamento do Inconel 718, com ferramentas de metal duro e cerâmicas (mista, whisker e SiAlON). No torneamento com ferramentas de metal duro a adição de grafite ao fluido de corte proporcionou os melhores resultados, enquanto que no torneamento com ferramentas cerâmicas, foi o MoS2 que apresentou melhor desempenho. A vida da ferramenta de metal duro teve um incremento acima de 200% na usinagem convencional (jorro) quando comparado com a usinagem por MQF, sem considerar a adição do lubrificante sólido. A adição de lubrificantes sólidos promoveu um incremento na vida das ferramentas whisker e SiAlON. O desgaste de flanco foi predominante para as ferramentas de metal duro e cerâmica SiAlON, enquanto que nas cerâmicas whisker e mista o desgaste de entalhe foi predominante. Os mecanismo de desgaste de attrition e difusão foram observados em todas as condições avaliadas. A adição de lubrificante sólido ao fluido de corte proporcionou melhorias significativas nos valores da rugosidade para a maioria das condições avaliadas. No entanto, não se observou mudanças significativas nas forças e temperatura de usinagem. As tensões residuais foram de tração e compressão, dependendo do método de aplicação do fluido. No geral, a adição do lubrificante sólido não apresentou diferenças significativas. / Doutor em Engenharia Mecânica

L’objectif de la thèse est de comprendre le comportement géochimique de l’arsenic dans les remblais miniers en pâte cimentés. Cette technique est employée depuis plusieurs années pour remblayer les galeries de mine exploitées à l’aide des rejets de concentrateurs. Pour cette étude, deux types de remblais sont élaborés en laboratoire : des échantillons de remblai minier en pâte synthétiques, fabriqués à partir de silice et enrichis artificiellement en arsenic, et des remblais miniers en pâte élaborés à partir de rejets miniers arséniés. Dans les deux cas, différents liants cimentaires sont testés. Plusieurs types d’investigations sont menés sur les échantillons de remblai en pâte cimentés. Une caractérisation minéralogique est effectuée à l’aide de divers outils. En parallèle, les échantillons de remblais sont soumis à différents tests de lixiviation complémentaires, afin d’évaluer la mobilité/rétention de l’arsenic dans ces matrices. Enfin, une modélisation géochimique est mise en œuvre à partir des résultats issus des deux études précédentes, afin d’affiner les connaissances sur la nature et la stabilité des composés arséniés dans les remblais étudiés. Les résultats obtenus indiquent que l’arsenic est mieux stabilisé dans les matrices à base de ciment Portland et de laitier de haut-fourneau que dans les remblais à base de cendres volantes. Le comportement à la lixiviation variable d’une matrice à l’autre s’explique par des spéciations et des mécanismes de piégeage de l’arsenic variés. L’arsenic peut précipiter sous forme de minéraux arséniés, principalement sous forme d’arséniates de calcium, mais aussi de divers autres composés secondaires variables d’une matrice à l’autre. Un piégeage physique des grains de rejets miniers arséniés par les hydrates cimentaires peut aussi avoir lieu, par formation d’un revêtement limitant l’oxydation des sulfures porteurs d’arsenic. Tous ces mécanismes interviennent dans la stabilisation/solidification de l’arsenic. / The objective of this study is to understand the geochemical behaviour of arsenic in cemented paste backfills. This technique consists in transporting the tailings in the mine openings. Two types of backfills are prepared in the laboratory for this study. First, synthetic cemented paste backfills artificially spiked with arsenic are synthesized, using silica in replacement of the tailings. In parallel, other cemented paste backfill specimens are prepared with arsenic-rich tailings. In the two cases, various types of hydraulic binders are tested. Several types of investigations are conducted on the cemented paste backfill specimens. A mineralogical characterization is carried out with the help of specific tools. At the same time, cemented paste backfill samples are submitted to several complementary leaching tests, to assess the mobility/immobilization potential of arsenic in these matrices. Finally, geochemical modeling is implemented, based on the results of the two previous studies, in order to refine the understanding of the nature and stability of the arsenic compounds. The results show that arsenic is better immobilized in Portland cement and slag-based matrices, rather than in fly ash-based matrices. The variable leaching behaviour from a given matrix to another is due to different arsenic trapping mechanisms. Arsenic can precipitate and form several arsenic minerals, mainly calcium arsenates, but also various other secondary compounds, which are different from a matrix to another. Physical entrapment of the tailings grains by the cementitious minerals can also occur, by formation of a coating around the grains, limiting the oxidation and dissolution of arsenic-bearing sulfides (passivation). These mechanisms are involved in the stabilization/solidification of arsenic by cemented paste backfills.

In the present work further modifications are implemented to an existing test setup for the evaluation of the wear of cemented carbide drill buttons in rock drilling applications. The test setup has been evaluated in previous diploma works, which has shown that the test successfully mimics the wear seen in rock drilling applications. The new modifications include friction and normal force measurements together with the collection of rock debris. This has been made possible by redesigning the sample holder and by manufacturing equipment making rock debris collection possible. The new modifications to the test setup were evaluated by comparing the wear of three different cemented carbide grades tested against sandstone and granite with two different loads. The data collected from the new modifications were found to be robust with lower than expected spread of data. The coefficient of friction when testing against sandstone was higher than when testing against granite. More adhered material was observed on the wear surface when testing against granite than against sandstone. Load dependence on the wear of the cemented carbide buttons is only seen for the softer cemented carbide grades when testing against sandstone. The wear of the buttons indicates a high dependence on the hardness of the different grades as shouldbe expected. This diploma work has been performed for Sandvik Mining, Rock Tools,a world leading supplier of rock drill equipment.

Gelfill (GF) is made of tailings, water, binder and chemical additives (Fillset, sodium silicate gel). The components of GF are combined and mixed on the surface and transported (by gravity and/or pumping) to the underground mine workings, where the GF can be used for both underground mine support and tailings storage. Thermal (T), hydraulic (H), and mechanical (M) properties are important performance criteria of GF. The understanding of these engineering properties and their evolution with time are still limited due to the fact that GF is a new cemented backfill material. In this thesis, the evolution of the thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and microstructural properties of small GF samples are determined. Various binder contents of Portland cement type I (PCI) are used. The GF is cured for 3, 7, 28, 90, and 120 days. It is found that the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical properties are time-dependent or affected by the degree of binder hydration index. Furthermore, a relationship is found between the compressive strength and the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the GF samples. The unsaturated hydraulic properties of GF samples have also been investigated. The outcomes show that unsaturated hydraulic conductivity is influenced by the degree of binder hydration index and binder content, especially at low suction ranges. Simple functions are proposed to predict the evolution of air-entry values (AEVs), residual water content, and fitting parameters from the van Genuchten model with the degree of hydration index (α). Furthermore, two columns are built to simulate the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) behaviour of GF under drained and undrained conditions. The obtained results from the GF columns are compared with the small samples. It is observed that the mechanical properties, hydraulic properties (suction and water content), and temperature development are strongly coupled. The magnitude of these THM coupling factors is affected by the size of the GF. The findings also show that the mechanical, hydraulic and thermal properties of the GF columns are different from samples cured in plastic moulds.

The diploma thesis deals with the development of a new material for the establishment of a layer of the ground body of a railway undercarriage purely on the basis of secondary raw materials. The theoretical part presents the characteristics of structural layers, materials used for bonded substrates, including their requirements. The following are the general conditions for the creation of base layers from purely secondary raw materials and previous experience with the issue. The introduction of the experimental part of the thesis sets out the basic parameters of secondary raw materials (construction recyclates, waste from railway bed cleaning, dust from cement plant) and energy by-products (fly ash, coal slag and municipal waste incinerator), which together form the raw material base. Grain size, absorbency, moisture, bulk density, chemical analysis and pollutant content were determined on the raw materials. Bulk densities and compressive strengths of the bonded mixtures were determined. The optimum humidity of all mixtures was determined by the Proctor standard test. Experimental verification was performed on testing of bonded mixtures in order to verify the effect of cement dose, when the original dose of 8% was optimized for construction recycled and slag from municipal waste incinerator to 4%, due to high strengths ranging from 4.5 to 6.0 MPa. Further optimization also included the addition of an energy by-product in a proportion of 10% of the weight of the secondary raw material. At the end of the experimental part, two optimal recipes were selected (recycled concrete with 4% cement and 10% fluid fly ash; slag from a municipal waste incinerator with 3% cement and 10% fluid fly ash), which underwent advanced testing in the form of frost resistance and resistance to water and a functional sample was designed. The final functional sample is recycled concrete with cement and 10% addition of fluid fly ash, which is suitable for core layers without frost loading.

Cemented carbides (WC-Co) are powder metallurgical products produced by liquid phase sintering. WC-Co is widely used for making a large variety of cutting tools, such as drills and inserts turning applications, due to its great mechanical properties, where the hardness of the WC grains is combined with the toughness of the of the Co binder. WC grain size and grain size distribution are the two most important factors to control the mechanical properties of the products. This study examined the grain growth dependence of different milling and sintering times. The resulting grain size and grain size distribution were measured using image analysis on scanning electron microscopy images (SEM) and by using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). In addition, the correlation between hardness and coercivity, the most common indirect measures of grain size, and different methods of calculating average grain radius were investigated. An attempt was also made to study the contribution of defects to grain growth. This work also includes an overview of various grain growth equations and a numerical implementation of these. Experimental results show that for shorter sintering times, powders milled for short times (15 min and 1 h) have larger average grain radii. There is a crossover after 6 to 8 h of sintering, where the powders milled for a long time (40 h and 200 h), have larger average radii. The measured hardness values correlate well with the average grain radius calculated from the grain surface area and the coercivity correlates with the established equations. EBSD measurements detected boundaries that could not be detected by image analysis, and that were not Sigma 2 boundaries. It is likely that these boundaries are either low energy boundaries or boundaries between grains that are very closely oriented. Comparing heat-treated powder with the untreated resulted in a lower average grain size after sintering for the heat-treated powder. None of the growth equations investigated in this work could fully describe the experimental grain growth. Through increased understanding of the grain growth, the growth can be controlled and the end product can have the desired tool properties. The occurrence of abnormal grains in cutting tool applications can cause breakage, which is especially important to avoid in applications such as PCB drills. A correlation between hardness and grain size provides further means for cheap and fast indirect measures of the grain size in production. / Hårdmetall är ett pulvermetallurgiskt material som tillverkas genom smältfassintring och som kännetecknas av hårdhet, styvhet och god slitstyrka. Volframkarbidens (WC) kornstorlek och kornstorleksfördelning är två viktiga faktorer för att kontrollera de mekaniska egenskaperna i hårdmetall. I den här studien har korntillväxtens beroende på malning och sintring undersökts. WC-Co maldes och sintrades fyra olika tider och kornstorleksfördelningen mättes med bildanalys på svepelektronmikroskopbilder samt med ``electron backscatter diffraction'' (EBSD). I arbetet har även korrelationen mellan hårdhet, koercivitet och olika sätt att beräkna medelkornstorleken undersökts. Ett försök har också genomförts för att studera hur defekterna i det malda pulvret påverkar korntillväxten. I arbetet har även ett flertal olika tillväxtekvationer modellerats numeriskt och för och nackdelar med de olika tillväxtekvationerna har vägts mot varandra. En lång maltid (40 h och 200 h) visade sig ge liten kornstorlek för sintring kortare än 6 h, men för sintringar längre än 8 h gav istället kort malning (15 min och 1 h) den mindre kornstorleken. Det visade sig att uppmätt hårdhet korrelerar bäst med den medelkornstorleksradie som räknats fram från kornytan. I EBSD mätningarna kunde man observera ett flertal korngränser, utöver Sigma 2 korngränser, som inte hade detekterats med bildanalys. Värmebehandlingen av det malda pulvret minskade korntillväxten under efterföljande sintring. Ingen av de undersökta tillväxtekvationerna kunde beskriva de experimentella resultaten fullt ut. Genom ökad förståelse för korntillväxt kan man kontrollera tillväxten och slutprodukten kan få önskade egenskaper. Förekomsten av abnorm korntillväxt i skärverktyg i hårdmetall är en av de vanligaste kritiska defekterna och det är speciellt viktigt är undvika korntillväxt i tillverkning av små verktyg, som till exempel kretskortsborrar. Hårdhet och koercivitet är de vanligaste indirekta mätmetoderna för att mäta kornstorlek i produktion. En bra korrelation mellan kornstorlek och indirekta mätmetoder ger utökade verktyg för snabba och billiga mätningar.

During the pressing of powder mixtures to make cemented carbide tools, the degree to which the powder spreads to fill the die and to which it compacts is uncertain. This leads to inconsistent dimensions and densities in the finished product. This performance changes with the composition of the powder, including the amount of pressing agent in the mixture, the particle size distribution and particle shape. One way to quantify the degree to which powder will spread to fill the mold evenly is using the property called 'flowability'. There are several techniques by which flowability can be measured, and each technique does not always give results that are consistent with other techniques. It is, therefore, important to know what technique(s) predict(s) the final behavior of the powder in this application before it is used in quality assurance or to design a process. Additionally, powder size distribution and shape metrics are measured using dynamic image analysis to investigate if there is any relationship between key values of these properties and compaction behavior. In this study, static Angle of repose, Tap Density, Hall flow time and Powder rheometry were benchmarked against each other and against the dimensions of presses and liquid phase sintered tool inserts to understand which technique had the strongest dependence on the compactability, which was defined as the ratio of the tallest dimension in the insert to the smallest. After the study, the results showed that a more extensive particle size distribution improves the compaction properties and that the powders with a higher resistance to a rotating blade tend to have better compaction properties. On the other hand, a clear pattern for the results of all measurement methods and the correlation between the compaction behavior of the carbide tools could not be discerned. In conclusion, the study showed that it is possible to determine a relationship between the results of measurement methods and the compaction behavior of powders. By using simple tests to predict the compactability properties, both money and time can be saved on the research of new, improved powder. Furthermore, the implementation of this study can lead to even better pressing and compactibility properties in the future for cemented carbide tools. / Vid pressning av pulverblandningar för tillverkning av hårdmetallverktyg är det osäkert i vilken grad pulvret sprider sig för att fylla matrisen och i vilken grad det komprimeras. Detta leder till inkonsekventa dimensioner och densitet i den färdiga produkten. Denna prestanda förändras med pulvrets sammansättning, inklusive mängden bindemedel som finns i blandningen, partikelstorleksfördelningen och partikelformen. Ett sätt att kvantifiera i vilken grad pulvret sprids för att fylla formen jämnt är att använda den egenskap som kallas "flytbarhet". Det finns flera tekniker för att mäta flytbarhet, och varje teknik ger inte alltid resultat som överensstämmer med andra tekniker. Det är därför viktigt att veta vilken eller vilka tekniker som förutsäger pulvrets slutliga beteende i denna tillämpning innan den används i kvalitetssäkring eller för att utforma en process. Vidare mäts pulvrets partikelstorleksfördelning och form med dynamisk bildanalys för att undersöka om det finns något samband mellan nyckelvärden för dessa egenskaper och komprimeringsbeteendet. I den här studien jämfördes statisk rasvinkel, tappdensitet, hallflödestid och pulverreometri samt med dimensionerna på pressar och sintrade verktygsinsatser i vätskefas för att förstå vilken teknik som hade det starkaste beroendet på kompatibiliteten, vilket definieras som förhållandet mellan den högsta dimensionen i insatsen och den minsta. Efter studien visade resultaten att en mer omfattande partikelstorleksfördelning förbättrar komprimeringsegenskaperna och att pulver med högre motståndskraft mot ett roterande blad tenderar att ha bättre komprimeringsegenskaper. Vidare kunde inte ett tydligt mönster för resultaten för alla mätmetoder och sambandet på komprimeringbeteendet för hårmetallverktygen urskiljas. Sammanfattningsvis visade studien på att det går att använda sig av mätmetoder för att kunna urskilja ett samband mellan resultaten på mätmetoderna och pulvers kompaktibillitetsegenskaper. Genom att använda sig av enkla mätningar för att kunna förutsäga kompaktibilitetsegenskaper samt komprimeringsbeteende kan både pengar respektive tid sparas. Vidare kan genomförandet av denna studie i framtiden leda till ännu bättre pressnings- samt kompaktibilitetsegenskaper för hårdmetallverktyg.