ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Strength and reliability of WC-Co cemented carbides: Understanding microstructural effects on the basis of R-curve behavior and fractography J. M. Tarragó 1,2,ϕ , D. Coureaux 1,3 , Y. Torres 4 , E. Jiménez-Piqué 1,2 , L. Schneider 5 , J. Fair 6 and L. Llanes 1,2 1 CIEFMA, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, EEBE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08019 Barcelona, Spain 2 Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08019 Barcelona, Spain 3 Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad de Oriente, 90500 Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. 4 Departamento de Ingeniería y Ciencia de los Materiales y del Transporte, Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Sevilla, Spain 5 Sandvik Machining Solutions, Coventry CV4 0XG, UK 6 Sandvik Hyperion, Coventry CV4 0XG, UK Φ Current address: Sandvik Hyperion, 08107 Martorelles, Spain ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT