Dense (Hf, Ta, Nb, Ti, V)C- and (Ta, Nb, Ti, V, W)C-based high-entropy carbides (HEC) were produced by three different sintering techniques: gas pressure sintering/sinter–HIP at 1900 °C and 100 bar Ar, vacuum sintering at 2250 °C and 0.001 bar as well as SPS/FAST at 2000 °C and 60 MPa pressure. The relative density varied from 97.9 to 100%, with SPS producing 100% dense samples with both compositions. Grain size measurements showed that the substitution of Hf with W leads to an increase in the mean grain size of 5–10 times the size of the (Hf, Ta, Nb, Ti, V,)C samples. Vacuum-sintered samples showed uniform grain size distribution regardless of composition. EDS mapping revealed the formation of a solid solution with no intermetallic phases or element clustering. X-ray diffraction analysis showed the structure of mostly single-phase cubic high-entropy carbides. Hardness measurements revealed that (Hf, Ta, Nb, Ti, V)C samples possess higher hardness values than (Ta, Nb, Ti, V, W)C samples.

Dense, high-entropy carbide cobalt-bonded hardmetals with two different compositions, namely (Hf-Ta-Ti-Nb-V)C-19.2 vol% Co and (Ta-Ti-Nb-V-W)C-19.2 vol% Co, were successfully manufactured by gas pressure sintering (SinterHIP) at 1400 °C and 100 bar Ar pressure. The microstructure of these hardmetals consists of a rigid skeletal carbide phase embedded in a tough Co binder phase. EDS mappings showed that the high-entropy carbide phase did not decompose and that a typical hardmetal microstructure was realized. Only in the case of the (Hf-Ta-Ti-Nb-V)C-Co hardmetal was some undissolved TaC and HfO₂, as well as some clustered vanadium titanium carbide phase, found, resulting in a split-up of the HEC phase into two very similar HEC phases. This resulted in a reduced hardness to fracture toughness ratio for this composition. Measurements of magnetic saturation polarization showed values between 57.5% and 70% of theoretical magnetic saturation polarization, indicating marginal dissolution of the carbide-forming metal elements in the binder phase. The hardness value HV10 for (Hf-Ta-Ti-Nb-V)C-19.2 vol% Co was 1203 HV10 and 1432 HV10 for (Ta-Ti-Nb-V-W)C-19.2 vol% Co.

High-entropy carbides (HEC) are a class of promising new hard phases for a sustainable improvement of hardmetal properties. In this work, hardmetals of the HEC (Ta,Nb,Ti,V,W)C were studied with two typical binder volume fractions of 16 and 24 vol-% consisting of Co, Ni and FeNi. The sintering behaviour, microstructure, phase composition, magnetic and mechanical properties are discussed and are compared to a conventional WC-Co hardmetal. It was shown that the HEC has a high-phase stability and that dense hardmetals with promising mechanical properties were obtained.