AbstractIncreasing the hardness and wear resistance of powder alloys and coatings through the use of ultrafine-grained powders and metastable phases is a promising way in powder metallurgy. This paper presents results of the studies of the process of obtaining ultrafine powders by the electrical discharge erosion of the cemented carbide waste WC–5TiC–10Co on a special installation. An empirical model that describes the dependence of the productivity of the process on the discharge energy and properties of a liquid is provided. The dependence of the chemical and phase compositions of the obtained powders on the compositions of the used liquids and the specific energy consumption was investigated. The effect of the discharge energy on the morphological composition and the average particle diameter was examined. It was revealed that the formation of a metastable solid solution (W,Ti)C and a decrease in the concentration of cobalt induce an increase in the hardness of the resulting spherical particles from 1410HV0.05 to 2540HV0.05.