[en] Wc-CO type composite powders have become satisfactory thermal spraying material necessary for wear-resistant coating badly needed in various spraying operations. China is rich in tungsten ore resources, therefore, the development of W-containing thermal spraying powders is of great importance to meet the practical needs. Two different types of WC-Co composite powders have been developed by the authors in recent years using coating and sintering methods respectively. Such powders are being used in the wear-resistant parts of aircraft engines, axles of reciprocating pumps, sealing rings, ventilators for power stations, etc. This paper is to describe the coated and sintered types of WC-Co thermal spray powders with the same chemical composition, emphasis being given to the study of characteristics of such powders before spraying and of the coatings formed under the same spraying conditions. Data and photos are obtained by means of SEM, X-ray diffraction, metallographic analysis and other methods. Physical properties including mechanical features concerning the coatings are tabulated. Theoretical explanation of the research results is also given