Agglomerated-and-sintered and sintered-and-crushed powders describe different manufacturing routes. Keep the route in the specification alongside chemistry and size. The same WC10Co4Cr name and 15–45 µm designation do not establish the same feeding behaviour or coating result.
Read the route together with morphology
The names describe whether particles are built through agglomeration followed by sintering, or obtained through sintering followed by crushing. A morphology description or SEM image adds information that the process name alone cannot provide. Oerlikon’s documents show spheroidal agglomerated-and-sintered WC-Co and angular sintered-and-crushed WC-CoCr products; those examples do not establish the morphology of every WOCO grade.
A comparison from WOCO’s product overview
The WC10Co4Cr overview lists the following two grades. These are declared product parameters, not measurements from a single delivery batch.
| Parameter | FA115-3 | FB111-3 |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Agglomerated and sintered | Sintered and crushed |
| Size designation | 15–45 µm | 15–45 µm |
| Hall flowability | ≤18 s/50 g | ≤25 s/50 g |
| Apparent density | ≥4 g/cm³ | ≥4 g/cm³ |
| Iron content | ≤0.15% | ≤1.0% |
This comparison shows why an order line containing only WC10Co4Cr 15–45 µm is incomplete. It does not show that one route always produces a better coating. Flow specifications concern a defined powder test; they do not directly predict deposition efficiency, porosity or finished-part life.
When replacing a qualified powder
- Identify the existing grade, route, size method and powder acceptance limits.
- Request morphology evidence with enough scale information to interpret it.
- Compare the agreed flow and density tests using consistent methods.
- Plan a feeding and spray trial on the intended equipment.
- Evaluate the finished coating against the application’s own acceptance criteria.
Record the selected grade code in the quotation, purchase order and batch documents. If a route changes during sourcing, review it as a material change rather than treating it as a spelling difference.
Related materials
WC10Co4Cr
WC10Co4Cr tungsten carbide composite powder
- Material
- WC,Co，Cr，
- Process
- Sintered & crushed
- Sizes
- 20–53 µm
WC12Co
WC12Co tungsten carbide composite powder
- Process
- Agglomerated & sintered
- Sizes
- 15–45 µm