The present invention relates to a compound for making high-temperature-resistant or refractory molded bodies, made up of a mixture of: a refractory or high-temperature-resistant inorganic powder, granules and/or granulate, including a free-flowing compound or a powder made of carbon or also without carbon, a binder,
the binder being made of a combination of tannin, lactose, fine-grained silica and aluminum powder, as well as the binder itself, and molded bodies produced from the compound including the binder, and a method of making same.

A polycrystalline super hard construction has a body of polycrystalline diamond material with a working surface, a first region substantially free of a solvent/catalysing material extending a depth from the working surface into the body of PCD material, and a second region remote from the working surface that includes solvent/catalysing material. The first and second regions are joined along a boundary. A chamfer extends between the working surface and a peripheral side surface of the body of PCD material. The distance from the midpoint of the chamfer to the boundary of the first and second regions along a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane in which the chamfer extends is at least X divided by two, where X is 0.8 times the thickness of the body of PCD material.

A super hard polycrystalline construction includes a first region having a body of thermally stable polycrystalline super hard material with an exposed surface forming a working surface, and a peripheral side edge. The polycrystalline super hard material has a plurality of intergrown grains of super hard material, a second region forming a substrate to the first region, and a third region interposed between the first and second regions. The third region extends across a surface of the second region along an interface, the third region having a composite material having a first phase comprising a plurality of non-intergrown diamond grains, the majority of said diamond grains having a coating comprising nano-sized cBN particles. There is also disclosed a method of forming such a construction.

A super hard polycrystalline construction has a first region having a body of thermally stable polycrystalline super hard material with an exposed surface forming a working surface, and a peripheral side edge, a second region forming a substrate to the first region and a third region interposed between the first and second regions. The third region extends across a surface of the second region along an interface and has a composite material having a first phase comprising a plurality of non-intergrown diamond grains, the majority of the diamond grains having a coating comprising nano-sized BN particles. There is also disclosed a method of making such a construction.

In one aspect, sintered ceramic bodies are described herein which, in some embodiments, demonstrate improved resistance to wear and enhanced cutting lifetimes. For example, a sintered ceramic body comprises tungsten carbide (WC) in an amount of 40-95 weight percent, alumina in an amount of 5-30 weight percent and ditungsten carbide (W.sub.2C) in an amount of at least 1 weight percent.

A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline abrasive construction comprises providing a plurality of particles of a superhard material, the particles coated with a first matrix precursor material, providing a plurality of second matrix precursor particles having an average size less than 2 micron, the second matrix precursor particles including a liquid phase sintering agent, mixing together the plurality of particles of superhard material with particles of the second matrix precursor material and consolidating and sintering the particles of superhard material and the particles of matrix precursor material. A polycrystalline abrasive construction comprises a particles of a superhard material dispersed in a matrix material comprising a material derived from a liquid phase sintering aid and chemical barrier particles having an average particle size of less than 100 nm dispersed in the matrix. Greater than 50% of the chemical barrier particles are located substantially at boundaries between superhard particles and the matrix.

The present invention relates, in part, to a discovery of a method for using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to improve the stability of refractory materials in high temperature steam, and compositions produced by the method.

The present invention relates, in part, to a discovery of a method for using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to improve the stability of refractory materials in high temperature steam, and compositions produced by the method.

A cutting tool includes a base material, and a coating film covering the base material in contact with the base material. The base material is a cubic boron nitride sintered material. The coating film is a ceramic. An amount of oxygen in the coating film is less than or equal to 0.040 mass percent.

In one aspect, sintered ceramic bodies are described herein which, in some embodiments, demonstrate improved resistance to wear and enhanced cutting lifetimes. For example, a sintered ceramic body comprises tungsten carbide (WC) in an amount of 40-95 weight percent, alumina in an amount of 5-30 weight percent and ditungsten carbide (W.sub.2C) in an amount of at least 1 weight percent.