PhD Thesis Defense - Marc Serra Fanals

This PhD thesis investigates the mechanical reliability of cemented carbides, with a special focus on fracture toughness, finite fatigue life, and fatigue crack growth behavior. The work addresses the need for more sustainable hard materials by partially replacing critical raw materials such as tungsten carbide and cobalt with alternative cubic carbides (γ-phase). Through an extensive microstructural characterization and advanced mechanical testing under monotonic and cyclic loading, the thesis establishes microstructure–property correlations that explain fracture and fatigue mechanisms at multiple length scales. The results provide valuable insights for the design of more reliable and sustainable cemented carbides for machining and wear-resistant applications.