A method of forming a supporting substrate for a cutting element comprises forming a precursor composition comprising discrete WC particles, a binding agent, and discrete particles comprising Co, one or more of Al, Be, Ga, Ge, Si, and Sn, and one or more of C and W. The precursor composition is subjected to a consolidation process to form a consolidated structure including WC particles dispersed in a homogenized binder comprising Co, W, C, and one or more of Al, Be, Ga, Ge, Si, and Sn. A method of forming a cutting element, a cutting element, a related structure, and an earth-boring tool are also described.

The invention relates to a PCD composite compact element comprising a PCD structure integrally bonded at an interface to a cemented carbide substrate; the PCD structure comprising coherently bonded diamond grains having a mean size no greater than 15 microns; the cemented carbide substrate comprising carbide particles dispersed in a metallic binder, the carbide particles comprising a carbide compound of a metal; wherein the ratio of the amount of metallic binder to the amount of the metal at points in the substrate deviates from a mean value by at most 20 percent of the mean value. The invention further relates to a method for making a PDC compact element comprising a PCD structure integrally bonded to a substrate formed of cemented carbide; the method including introducing a source of excess carbon to the substrate at a bonding surface of the substrate to form a carburised substrate; contacting an aggregated mass of diamond grains with the carburised substrate; and sintering the diamond grains in the presence of a solvent/catalyst material for diamond; wherein the mean size of the diamond grains in the aggregated mass is no greater than 30 microns.

The invention relates to a PCD composite compact element comprising a PCD structure integrally bonded at an interface to a cemented carbide substrate; the PCD structure comprising coherently bonded diamond grains having a mean size no greater than 15 microns; the cemented carbide substrate comprising carbide particles dispersed in a metallic binder, the carbide particles comprising a carbide compound of a metal; wherein the ratio of the amount of metallic binder to the amount of the metal at points in the substrate deviates from a mean value by at most 20 percent of the mean value. The invention further relates to a method for making a PDC compact element comprising a PCD structure integrally bonded to a substrate formed of cemented carbide; the method including introducing a source of excess carbon to the substrate at a bonding surface of the substrate to form a carburised substrate; contacting an aggregated mass of diamond grains with the carburised substrate; and sintering the diamond grains in the presence of a solvent/catalyst material for diamond; wherein the mean size of the diamond grains in the aggregated mass is no greater than 30 microns.

The invention relates to a PCD composite compact element comprising a PCD structure integrally bonded at an interface to a cemented carbide substrate; the PCD structure comprising coherently bonded diamond grains having a mean size no greater than 15 microns; the cemented carbide substrate comprising carbide particles dispersed in a metallic binder, the carbide particles comprising a carbide compound of a metal; wherein the ratio of the amount of metallic binder to the amount of the metal at points in the substrate deviates from a mean value by at most 20 percent of the mean value. The invention further relates to a method for making a PDC compact element comprising a PCD structure integrally bonded to a substrate formed of cemented carbide; the method including introducing a source of excess carbon to the substrate at a bonding surface of the substrate to form a carburised substrate; contacting an aggregated mass of diamond grains with the carburised substrate; and sintering the diamond grains in the presence of a solvent/catalyst material for diamond; wherein the mean size of the diamond grains in the aggregated mass is no greater than 30 microns.

A sintered composite material obtainable by a method which includes providing a composition which includes at least one hardness carrier and a base binder alloy, and sintering the composition. The base binder alloy includes from 66 to 93 wt.-% of nickel, from 7 to 34 wt.-% of iron, from 0 to 9 wt.-% of cobalt, and up to 30 wt.-% of one or more elements selected from W, Mo, Cr, V, Ta, Nb, Ti, Zr, Hf, Re, Ru, Al, Mn, B, N and C. The wt.-% proportions of the base binder alloy add up to 100 wt.-%.

A sintered composite material obtainable by a method which includes providing a composition which includes at least one hardness carrier and a base binder alloy, and sintering the composition. The base binder alloy includes from 66 to 93 wt.-% of nickel, from 7 to 34 wt.-% of iron, from 0 to 9 wt.-% of cobalt, and up to 30 wt.-% of one or more elements selected from W, Mo, Cr, V, Ta, Nb, Ti, Zr, Hf, Re, Ru, Al, Mn, B, N and C. The wt.-% proportions of the base binder alloy add up to 100 wt.-%.

Provided is a corrosion, erosion and wear resistant cemented carbide for high demand applications including, for example, use as a component within oil and gas production. The cemented carbide includes a hard phase and a binder phase. The cemented carbide may include, for example. Ni, Cr and Mo. The binder phase content of the cemented carbide is between 7 to 11 wt %. The WC of the cemented carbide may have an average grain size of from 0.1 to 2 μm.

A polycrystalline diamond sintered material tool includes: a cemented carbide substrate, which is mainly composed of WC and includes Co; and a diamond layer containing a metal catalyst made of Co provided on the cemented carbide substrate. The average layer thickness of a Co rich layer formed in an interface between the cemented carbide substrate and the diamond layer is 30 μm or less. C.sub.MAX/C.sub.DIA is 2 or less when C.sub.DIA is an average content of Co included in the diamond layer and C.sub.MAX is a peak value of a Co content in the Co rich layer. D/D.sub.O is less than 2 when D is an average grain size of WC particles in a region from the interface between the cemented carbide substrate and the diamond layer to 50 μm toward an inside of the cemented carbide substrate; and D.sub.O is an average grain size of WC particles.

A coated cutting tool is CVD coated and includes a substrate of a cemented carbide, wherein the metallic binder in the cemented carbide Includes Ni. The CVD coating includes an inner layer of TiN and a subsequent layer of TiCN.

A super hard polycrystalline construction is disclosed as comprising a body of super hard material having a first fraction of super hard grains in a matrix of a second fraction of super hard grains. The average grain size of the first fraction is between around 1.5 to around 10 times the average grain size of the second fraction and the first fraction comprises around 5 vol % to around 30 vol % of the grains of super hard material in the body.