Research status of WC-based cemented carbides with HEA binders: A review

With the advancement of industrial technology, the performance limitations of traditional cobalt-based cemented carbides under extreme working conditions such as high temperatures and corrosion have become increasingly prominent. The development of novel high-performance binder phases has emerged as a critical research direction in the field of cemented carbides. High-entropy alloys (HEAs), leveraging their multi-principal-element characteristics and unique effects including high-entropy, lattice distortion, sluggish diffusion, and cocktail effects-offer a novel approach to breakthrough performance enhancements for WC-based cemented carbides. This paper systematically reviews the research progress in WC-HEA cemented carbides, providing an in-depth analysis of the interfacial bonding mechanisms and interaction laws between HEA binder phases and WC hard phases. It explores the influence of microstructural evolution on the mechanical and service performance of the materials and elucidates the mechanistic roles of composition design, sintering processes, and microstructure regulation in performance optimization. Research indicates that rational HEA component design can effectively balance the strength and toughness of cemented carbides while significantly improving their corrosion resistance and high-temperature oxidation resistance. Finally, this paper highlights future research priorities, emphasizing computational-aided material design, the development of novel sintering techniques, and precise multi-scale microstructure control to accelerate the industrial application of WC-HEA cemented carbides. This review systematically investigates the development of high-entropy alloy (HEA) binders for WC cemented carbides via mechanical alloying and advanced sintering techniques. Computational simulations (CALPHAD, MD, DFT) are employed to elucidate interfacial bonding mechanisms and optimize compositional design. Compared to conventional Co binders, HEA systems demonstrate remarkable performance enhancements, including superior corrosion resistance, improved fracture toughness, and exceptional high-temperature oxidation resistance. The synergistic integration of powder metallurgy processes with computational materials science offers novel perspectives for designing next-generation cemented carbide materials with tailored properties. • This study reveals superior WC-HEA binder wettability (0.5-4.6° contact angles), demonstrating how Cr adsorption and Al-controlled interfacial reactions optimize bonding strength through combined experimental and first-principles evidence. • HEA binders significantly outperform Co in high-temperature oxidation/corrosion resistance due to their unique sluggish diffusion effect and stable passive oxide layer formation. • Exploring high-entropy alloys (HEAs) , nanostructured binders, and computationally guided material design as emerging trends,and the potential of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence-driven simulation to accelerate the discovery of high-performance cemented carbides.