Genius Metal

Traditional Hardmetals

Hardmetals (cemented carbides) have been the most widely used super hard tool materials. Hardmetals are a class of hard, wear-resistant materials in which the hard carbide particles are bound together, or cemented by a soft and ductile metal binder.

The first cemented carbide invented in the early 1920s was tungsten carbide (WC) bound by a cobalt binder. Cemented carbides containing only WC and Co are referred to as "straight grades," whereas those containing other metallic carbides such as TiC, TaC, and NbC in addition to WC are called "complex grades."  The performance of these hardmetals has been limited by the properties of the cobalt binder.  

Genius Metal Inc. (Monrovia, CA) is aiming to shift the balance between affordable carbides that tend to wear out quickly and expensive ceramics that tend to last several times longer.  Genius is developing a new breed of carbides that lasts longer by replacing the standard binder metal (i.e., cobalt) in the tungsten carbide matrix with alternative metal binders that are much harder and have higher temperature resistance than cobalt.  Cobalt does a good job of binding the hard carbide phase in the tool,  is tough, and can handle repeated impacts as in interrupted cutting.  The new binder needs to have the same binding ability yet handle heavy loads and impacts, too.  This is where some other efforts at alternative binders have failed – and where ceramic tools are weakest!  However, the main weakness of cobalt is its low hardness and melting temperature.  The new formulations from Genius go way beyond cobalt in terms of maintaining hardness at high temperatures.

Test results have been extremely promising.  Independent materials testing labs have confirmed the unprecedented hardness, toughness, and temperature capabilities of the new tooling samples.  Recent independent machining trials have been also run by cutting the superalloy Inconel 718 on a Haas CNC lathe.  The tests, run at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, directly compared samples made with traditional cobalt binder to several of the new Genius Metal formulations with alternative metal binders.  In head-to-head trials, the new tooling lasted more than twice as long as the cobalt-based tools.  The figures below show results from cutting at 50 and 75 mpm without coolant.  The next stage of development will involve coating the tools to boost performance even further.  

Co-1 and Co-3 are Cobalt-bonded Tungsten Carbide (Co-WC).  Gen-D, Gen-E, Gen-F, and Gen-G are Tungsten Carbide with alternative binder metals from Genius Metal Inc.(www.geniusmetal.com).

Manufacturing cost breakdown in typical machining process  

Dr. Liu has applied high temperature and high strength alloys to partially or completely replace the traditionally used cobalt binder of hardmetals to greatly  improve hardness, toughness, eutectic temperature, and hot hardness. Consequently, the new materials have combined properties superior to those of Co-bound hardmetals as summarized below:

Genius Metal has applied for 3 patents pertaining to these revolutionary materials.  The first was issued in June 2005 entitled "Compositions and Fabrication Methods for Hardmetals" (US 6, 911, 063).

Representative Genius Metal grades compared to typical commercially available hardmetals.

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10kg@Genius

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2kg@Stork

10kg@Genius

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Representative test data comparing key material properties of some Genius Metal grades vs typical commercial grades.  Certified data from an independent test lab can be provided upon request.

The hot hardness of Genius Metal P and K grade materials far exceeds that of currently available commercial carbides.  Genius Metal grades can perform at elevated temperatures where comparable materials have already reached failure due to superior eutectic temperatures.

Genius Metal ISO-K grades far exceed commercial ISO-K grades simultaneously in terms of both toughness and hardness.

Genius Metal ISO-P grades far exceed commercial ISO-P grades simultaneously in terms of both toughness and hardness.  Genius Metal P grades can also be used in applications where cermets are typically used due to their high hardness.

The transverse rupture strength as well as the hardness of all Genius Metal grades is superior to that of any commercial K or P grades.

Test Notes:

The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) issued ISO Recommendation R513 "application of Carbides for machining by Chip Removal." In the ISO system, all machining grades are divided into three color-coded groups:

• *Highly alloyed complex grades (letter P) for machining steel
• *Alloyed Complex grades (letter M, generally with less TiC than the corresponding P grades) for multipurpose use, such as machining steels, nickel-base superalloys, and ductile cast iron.
• *Straight WC grades (letter K) for cutting gray cast iron, nonferrous metals and nonmetallic materials.