Steels, in particular hot work steels having high toughness even for high thickness, including steels having long durability combined with mechanical, tribological and thermal properties for highly demanding applications, and steels which can achieve a very good environmental resistance and resistance to certain aggressive media combined with other relevant properties, are described. These steels may also be obtained at low cost. A method for the manufacture of steels having high thickness and manufacturing methods to shape the materials of the invention through several steps, including an additive manufacturing step to manufacture at least apart of an intermediate mold, a mold or a model, a Cold Isostatic Pressing (CIP) step, the elimination of the mold and densification among other steps, are also described.

A compact, a superabrasive compact and a method of making the compact and superabrasive compact are disclosed. A compact may include a plurality of carbide particles, a binder, and a species. The binder may be dispersed among the plurality of tungsten carbide particles. The species may be dispersed in the compact, wherein the binder has a melting point from about 600° C. to about 1350° C. at ambient pressure. A superabrasive compact may include a diamond table and a substrate. The diamond table may be attached to the substrate. The substrate may have a binder. The melting point of the binder is from about 600° C. to about 1350° C. at high pressure from about 30 kbar to about 100 kbar.

A method of forming a cutting element comprises forming a first material comprising discrete coated particles within a container. The first material is pressed to form a first green structure comprising interbonded coated particles. A second material comprising additional discrete coated particles is formed over the first green structure within the container. The second material is pressed to form a second green structure comprising additional interbonded coated particles. The first green structure and the second green structure are sintered to form a multi-layered cutting table. Additional methods of forming a cutting element, a cutting element, and an earth-boring tool are also described.

An anvil including a hard phase and a metal matrix in which the hard phase is dispersed, a concentration of the metal matrix phase varying according to a concentration gradient, is disclosed. The anvil may be used in a high pressure press. Methods of making an anvil including forming a hard phase dispersed in a metal matrix phase, a concentration of the metal matrix phase varying according to a concentration gradient, are also disclosed.

An anvil including a hard phase and a metal matrix in which the hard phase is dispersed, a concentration of the metal matrix phase varying according to a concentration gradient, is disclosed. The anvil may be used in a high pressure press. Methods of making an anvil including forming a hard phase dispersed in a metal matrix phase, a concentration of the metal matrix phase varying according to a concentration gradient, are also disclosed.

Embodiments relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”) including a polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) table in which a metal-solvent catalyst is alloyed with at least one alloying element to improve thermal stability of the PCD table. In an embodiment, a PDC includes a substrate and a PCD table bonded to the substrate. The PCD table includes diamond grains defining interstitial regions. The PCD table includes an alloy comprising at least one Group VIII metal and at least one metallic alloying element that lowers a temperature at which melting of the at least one Group VIII metal begins. The alloy includes one or more solid solution phases comprising the at least one Group VIII metal and the at least one metallic alloying element and one or more intermediate compounds comprising the at least one Group VIII metal and the at least one metallic alloying element.

A cutting tool comprises a substrate and a coating layer provided on the substrate, the coating layer including a multilayer structure layer composed of a first unit layer and a second unit layer, and a lone layer, the lone layer including cubic Ti.sub.zAl.sub.1-zN crystal grains, an atomic ratio z of Ti in the Ti.sub.zAl.sub.1-zN being 0.5 or more and 0.65 or less, the lone layer having a thickness with an average value of 2.5 nm or more and 10 nm or less, the multilayer structure layer having a thickness with an average value of 10 nm or more and 95 nm or less, one multilayer structure layer and one lone layer forming a repetitive unit having a thickness with an average value of 30 nm to 70 nm, a maximum value of 40 nm to 100 nm, and a minimum value of 20 nm to 40 nm.

A cutting tool comprises a substrate and a coating layer provided on the substrate, the coating layer including a multilayer structure layer composed of a first unit layer and a second unit layer, and a lone layer, the lone layer including cubic Ti.sub.zAl.sub.1-zN crystal grains, an atomic ratio z of Ti in the Ti.sub.zAl.sub.1-zN being 0.5 or more and 0.65 or less, the lone layer having a thickness with an average value of 2.5 nm or more and 10 nm or less, the multilayer structure layer having a thickness with an average value of 10 nm or more and 95 nm or less, one multilayer structure layer and one lone layer forming a repetitive unit having a thickness with an average value of 30 nm to 70 nm, a maximum value of 40 nm to 100 nm, and a minimum value of 20 nm to 40 nm.

A method of sintering electrically conducting powders in an air atmosphere for obtaining a sintered product includes the following step sequence: placing the powders in an electrically isolating mold, applying a pressure to the powders between 100 and 500 MPa, and applying to the powders a sintering current at a sintering voltage during a sintering time, for sintering the powders. Before applying the sintering current density to the powders, an activation current density is lower than the sintering current density at an activation voltage greater than the sintering voltage during an activation time lower than the sintering time, to reduce the electrical resistance of the powders.

The present invention relates to granular composite density enhancement, and related methods and compositions. The application where the properties are valuable include but are not limited to: 1) additive manufacturing (“3D printing”) involving metallic, ceramic, cermet, polymer, plastic, or other dry or solvent-suspended powders or gels, 2) concrete materials, 3) solid propellant materials, 4) cermet materials, 5) granular armors, 6) glass-metal and glass-plastic mixtures, and 7) ceramics comprising (or manufactured using) granular composites.