The correlation between the damage induced under cyclic contact fatigue and their electrochemical behavior (anodic polarization curves) for different WC-Co-based cemented carbides grades was investigated at the macrometric and micrometric length scale. Under both, dry (i.e. air atmosphere) and wet (cutting lubricant fluid) conditions, the crack path propagates near the carbide/metallic binder interface, resulting in tortuous cracks of several micrometers. Despite the alkaline conditions imposed by the cutting fluid (pH 9.2), the cobalt binder is preferentially dissolved, and the carbide-skeleton keeps stable. The presence of cutting fluid in the contact fatigue zone changes the morphology of the cracks due to the partial dissolution of the binder phase. The addition of chromium to the WC-Co composition enhances corrosion resistance of the metallic binder phase resulting in reduced damage of the cemented carbides in environmental assisted cyclic contact fatigue conditions.

在宏观和微米长度尺度上，研究了不同WC-Co基硬质合金牌号在循环接触疲劳引起的损伤与其电化学行为（阳极极化曲线）之间的相关性。在干燥（即空气气氛）和潮湿（切削润滑剂流体）条件下，裂纹路径都在碳化物/金属粘合剂界面附近传播，从而导致几微米的曲折裂纹。尽管切削液施加了碱性条件（pH 9.2），钴粘合剂仍会优先溶解，碳化物骨架保持稳定。由于粘结剂相的部分溶解，接触疲劳区中切削液的存在改变了裂纹的形态。