Finite-element analysis on performance and shear stress of cemented tungsten carbide anvils used in the China-type cubic-anvil high-pressure apparatus

Abstract

Stress distribution in cemented tungsten carbide (WC) anvils is of primary interest in high pressure research, but is very difficult to determine experimentally. We have performed finite-element simulations to study the performance and the shear stress distribution of WC anvils used in the China-type cubic-anvil high pressure apparatus (SPD-6×2000). Our results show that in order to avoid failure cracks in high-stress areas, the maximum shear stress should be lower than 3.17 GPa for the WC anvils (8% cobalt). The simulations have been verified by high-pressure experiments. Our method of analyzing stress distribution helps in evaluating the ability of WC anvils, and would aid in designing a new anvil to enhance performance.

Keywords:

• shear stress
• WC anvil
• strength theory
• finite-element method

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Runze Yu, Wei Guo, Hongsheng Jia, Jiangang Guo, Jian Liu and Guofeng Huang for experimental assistance. We wish to thank the reviewer for helpful comments and suggestions. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 50572032, 50731006 and 50801030. We are also grateful for the support from the Doctor Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities.