Sintering, toughening, and tribology of binderless and entropy-engineered WC-based cemented carbides: A critical review

The development of WC-based cemented carbide composites with a superior combination of high hardness and toughness has driven transformative advances in binder engineering and sintering technologies. Although conventional WC-Co alloys remain widely used for the balanced mechanical performance, their insufficient wear resistance and toughness under extreme conditions limits their long-term reliability. To overcome this, two new paradigms have emerged: binderless tungsten carbides (BTCs) and high-entropy cemented carbides (HECCSs). These use wear-resistant ceramics or entropy-stabilized multi-principal element binders to break the classic hardness-toughness trade-off. Meanwhile, toughening strategies have evolved from 0D particles to 3D hierarchical architectures, enabling multiscale reinforcement. Machine learning (ML) and data-driven modeling are now accelerating microstructural optimization by linking computation with experiment. Understanding tribological behavior in extreme environments is also critical. This review offers a roadmap for next-generation WC-based composites, focusing on sintering advances, binder engineering, and structural design for enhanced mechanical and environmental durability.