A metal matrix composite to high tolerate wear as a property has been produced by infiltration casting of a Fe Alloy and a spinel ceramic by using a material design for i) metal transport phenomena conditions, ii) predefined wetting and capillarity and iii) processing child insert/mother casting methodology to produce a final casting in shape and form to meet the needs of a mining end user.

A castable, moldable, or extrudable magnesium-based alloy that includes one or more insoluble additives. The insoluble additives can be used to enhance the mechanical properties of the structure, such as ductility and/or tensile strength. The final structure can be enhanced by heat treatment, as well as deformation processing such as extrusion, forging, or rolling, to further improve the strength of the final structure as compared to the non-enhanced structure. The magnesium-based composite has improved thermal and mechanical properties by the modification of grain boundary properties through the addition of insoluble nanoparticles to the magnesium alloys. The magnesium-based composite can have a thermal conductivity that is greater than 180 W/m-K, and/or ductility exceeding 15-20% elongation to failure.

A castable, moldable, or extrudable magnesium-based alloy that includes one or more insoluble additives. The insoluble additives can be used to enhance the mechanical properties of the structure, such as ductility and/or tensile strength. The final structure can be enhanced by heat treatment, as well as deformation processing such as extrusion, forging, or rolling, to further improve the strength of the final structure as compared to the non-enhanced structure. The magnesium-based composite has improved thermal and mechanical properties by the modification of grain boundary properties through the addition of insoluble nanoparticles to the magnesium alloys. The magnesium-based composite can have a thermal conductivity that is greater than 180 W/m-K, and/or ductility exceeding 15-20% elongation to failure.

A high-thermal conductivity composite material is AlN.sub.p/ZA27 composite material, including 2%, 4%, 6%, or 8% by volume of aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic particles and zinc-aluminium-27 (ZA27) alloy. The ZA27 alloy includes 70.52-71.08% by weight of Zn, 25.58?27.65% by weight of Al, 1.27?3.45% by weight of Cu, and 0.50% or less by weight of Mg. In the preparation of the high-thermal conductivity composite material, an as-cast AlN.sub.p/ZA27 composite material is subjected to homogenizing annealing and reciprocating extrusion.

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.

There is provided a composite of a metallic matrix and boron nitride nanotubes, the metallic matrix including aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Also, there is provided a method for manufacturing the composite. The method includes: a powder mixing step of mixing a powder of boron nitride nanotubes and a powder of an element soluble in a molten metal of the metallic matrix to prepare a powder mixture of boron nitride nanotubes and a metallic matrix-soluble element; an alloy melt mixing step of mixing the powder mixture and the molten metal of the metallic matrix to prepare a metallic matrix melt mixed with boron nitride nanotubes; and a casting step of solidifying the metallic matrix melt mixed with boron nitride nanotubes to obtain the composite.

A process is provided for manufacturing a composite material with functionalized carbon nanotubes and a metal matrix. The arrangement also includes manufacturing an elongated electrically conductive element, and an electrical cable with such an elongated electrically conductive element.

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 and apparatus for producing metal matrix nanocomposites is disclosed. The method may include obtaining a nanodispersion by dispersing a plurality of nanoparticles into an inert gas within a dispersion chamber. Dispersing the plurality of nanoparticles into the inert gas may include injecting a pressurized stream of the inert gas into the dispersion chamber, and mechanically mixing the inert gas and the plurality of nanoparticles. The method may further include injecting the nanodispersion into a volume of molten metal, obtaining a molten mixture by mechanically mixing the nanodispersion with the volume of molten metal, and applying a casting process on the molten mixture by transferring the molten mixture into a die.

Binder compositions for use in forming a bit body of an earth-boring bit include at least one of cobalt, nickel, and iron, and at least one melting point-reducing constituent selected from at least one of a transition metal carbide up to 60 weight percent, a transition metal boride up to 60 weight percent, and a transition metal silicide up to 60 weight percent, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the binder. Earth-boring bit bodies include a cemented tungsten carbide material comprising tungsten carbide and a metallic binder, wherein the tungsten carbide comprises greater than 75 volume percent of the cemented tungsten carbide material.