Influence of mechanical and electrical parameters on the energy efficiency of powder production by electro-discharge erosion of WC–Co-and WC–TiC–Co-scrap

The electroerosive dispersion method makes it possible to obtain ultradisperse powder directly from carbide waste. In this work, the influence of the discharge energy, the composition of the alloy and liquid on the energy consumption and productivity of processing by the method of electroerosive dispersion of WC–Co and WC–TiC–Co hard alloys is studied. An empirical model is presented that describes the dependence of the discharge frequency, process productivity, and specific energy consumption on the discharge energy, vibration stand amplitude, and liquid properties. It is shown that, under certain conditions, the specific energy consumption for processing 1 kg of WC–Co or WC–TiC–Co alloy can be reduced to 3.3–4.5 kW$\cdot$h kWh.