Surface modification of cemented carbide by EB polishing

Cemented carbide has many excellent properties. However, it is sometimes difficult to apply conventional surface finishing or surface modification methods for the cemented carbide. The possibility of surface modification by large-area electron beam irradiation, namely EB polishing was discussed. The surface structure of the EB polished cemented carbide was observed by TEM. The hardness and the water repellency were tested. Also, the separation force of molded resin from the surface was measured for evaluating the releasability of the resin. The water repellency and the releasability of the molded resin could be improved by EB polishing, because the surface structure changed. (C) 2011 CIRP.