A tool for cutting, drilling or crushing of solid material, wherein the tool includes a cemented carbide body attached to a steel holder by a braze joint located between a base surface of the cemented carbide body and the steel holder. The cemented carbide body has a hard phase mainly of tungsten carbide, WC, and a binder consisting of cobalt, wherein the cobalt content of the cemented carbide body is equal to or lower than about 5.5 wt %. The cemented carbide body has a cobalt content gradient therein wherein the cobalt content increases towards the base surface and is at least 4.5 wt % at the base surface. The ratio of the cobalt content at the base surface to the cobalt content of the cemented carbide is 1.09. A method for producing the tool is also presented.

A tool for cutting, drilling or crushing of solid material, wherein the tool includes a cemented carbide body attached to a steel holder by a braze joint located between a base surface of the cemented carbide body and the steel holder. The cemented carbide body has a hard phase mainly of tungsten carbide, WC, and a binder consisting of cobalt, wherein the cobalt content of the cemented carbide body is equal to or lower than about 5.5 wt %. The cemented carbide body has a cobalt content gradient therein wherein the cobalt content increases towards the base surface and is at least 4.5 wt % at the base surface. The ratio of the cobalt content at the base surface to the cobalt content of the cemented carbide is 1.09. A method for producing the tool is also presented.

The present disclosure concerns composite material having improved strength at elevated temperatures. The composite material comprises a matrix of an aluminum alloy (comprising, in weight percent, Si 0.05-0.30, Fe 0.04-0.6, Mn 0.80-1.50, Mg 0.80-1.50 and the balance being aluminum and unavoidable impurities) as well as particles of a filler material dispersed within the matrix. The matrix can optionally comprise Cu and/or Mo. In some embodiments, the composite material comprises, as a filler material, B.sub.4C as well as an additive selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, V, Nb, Zr, Sr, Sc and any combination thereof. The present disclosure also provides processes for making such composite materials.

Embodiments of the invention relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts including a substrate having a convexly-curved interfacial surface bonded to a polycrystalline diamond table. In an embodiment, a polycrystalline diamond compact includes a substrate including at least one side surface and a convexly-curved interfacial surface that may, in some embodiments, extend inwardly directly from the at least one side surface to form at least one peripheral edge therebetween. The polycrystalline diamond compact further includes a polycrystalline diamond table bonded to the convexly-curved interfacial surface of the substrate.

Embodiments of the invention relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts including a substrate having a convexly-curved interfacial surface bonded to a polycrystalline diamond table. In an embodiment, a polycrystalline diamond compact includes a substrate including at least one side surface and a convexly-curved interfacial surface that may, in some embodiments, extend inwardly directly from the at least one side surface to form at least one peripheral edge therebetween. The polycrystalline diamond compact further includes a polycrystalline diamond table bonded to the convexly-curved interfacial surface of the substrate.

The manufacturing method of a porous silicon material of the present disclosure includes a particle forming step of melting a raw material containing Al as a first element in an amount of 50% by mass or more and Si in an amount of 50% by mass or less to obtain a silicon alloy, a pore forming step of removing the first element from the silicon alloy to obtain a porous material, and a heat treatment step of heating the porous material to diffuse elements other than Si to a surface of the porous material.

A method for producing an anode body in a capacitor, which includes making a molded body by molding a tungsten powder and making an anode body by sintering the molded body, which includes a step of bringing the tungsten powder or the molded body thereof into contact with a solution of a silicon compound before sintering the molded body so as to adjust the silicon content in the anode body to 0.05 to 7 mass %.

A method for producing an anode body in a capacitor, which includes making a molded body by molding a tungsten powder and making an anode body by sintering the molded body, which includes a step of bringing the tungsten powder or the molded body thereof into contact with a solution of a silicon compound before sintering the molded body so as to adjust the silicon content in the anode body to 0.05 to 7 mass %.

Tools, for example, fixed cutter drill bits, may be manufactured to include hard composite portions having reinforcing particles dispersed in a continuous binder phase and auxiliary portions that are more machinable than the hard composite portions. For example, a tool may include a hard composite portion having a machinability rating 0.2 or less; and an auxiliary portion having a machinability rating of 0.6 or greater in contact with the hard composite portion. The boundary or interface between the hard composite portion and the auxiliary portion may be designed so that upon removal of the most or all of the auxiliary portion the resultant tool has a desired geometry without having to machine the hard composite portion.

A method is presented for producing hollow microspheres of metal oxides (HMOMS) and/or hollow metal silicates microspheres (HMSMS) in a transforming solution. The transforming solution contains an atom M, or an M-ion, or a radical containing M. M in the transforming solution has the thermodynamic ability to replace silicon atoms in hollow silica microspheres (HSMS) and/or hollow glass microspheres (HGMS). The maximum temperature for transformation is set by the chemical physical properties of the transforming solution, and the viscosity of the silica in the walls of the HSMS and/or the glass in the walls of the HGMS. Viscosity, of enough magnitude, helps retain the desired shape of the hollow sphere as it is transformed to HMOMS and/or HMSMS. Non-spherical shapes can be produced by increasing the transformation temperature whereby the viscosity of the walls of the HSMS and/or the HGMS is reduced. Transformation can take place at a single temperature or at several temperatures, each temperature for a separate hold time.

Methods are presented for: 1. production of micro composite castings and continuous production of sheets of micro composites, both consisting of hollow spheres in a matrix, 2. harvesting of HMOMS and HMSMS, and 3. specialty castings for anisotropic properties using 3-dimensional printing