There are provided: a sintered material having an excellent wear resistance even under a high speed cutting condition; a tool using the sintered material; and a method of producing the sintered material. The sintered material includes: a first particle group including a particle having a cubic rock-salt structure represented by Al.sub.(1-x)Cr.sub.xN (formula (1)) (where x satisfies 0.2≦x≦0.8); and a second particle group including a particle of at least one first compound selected from a group consisting of oxide and oxynitride of aluminum, zirconium, yttrium, magnesium, and hafnium.

An abrasive article, comprising a polycrystalline material comprising abrasive grains and a filler material having an average negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) within a range of temperatures between about 70 K to about 1500 K. A method of forming an abrasive article, comprising preparing an abrasive material, preparing a filler material having an average negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) within a range of temperatures between about 150 K to about 1500 K, and forming a polycrystalline material comprising grains of the abrasive material and the filler material.

Phosphors include a CaAlSiN.sub.3 family crystal phase, wherein the CaAlSiN.sub.3 family crystal phase comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb.

A cubic boron nitride sintered body has between 50% and 75% cubic boron nitride by volume and between 25% and 50% binder phase by volume, and inevitable impurities. The binder phase contains an Al compound and a Zr compound. The Al compound contains Al and one or more of N, O and B; and the Zr compound contains Zr and one or more of C, N, O and B. At a polished surface of the cubic boron nitride sintered body, 40% or more of the Zr compounds satisfy the ratio 0.25≦n/N≦0.8, where: N represents the number of line segments drawn radially at equal intervals from a center of gravity of a given Zr compound to a boundary with a non-Zr compound; and n represents the number among those N line segments which intersect a boundary between the given Zr compound and cubic boron nitride.

A hard material which, when used as a material of a sintered material, makes it possible to obtain a sintered material with excellent abrasion resistance, a sintered material, a cutting tool including the sintered material, a method for manufacturing the hard material and a method for manufacturing the sintered material are provided. The hard material contains aluminum, nitrogen, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, and silicon, and has a cubic rock salt structure.

A sialon sintered body and a cutting insert each having thermal shock resistance and VB wear resistance. The sialon sintered body and the cutting insert contain β-sialon and 21R-sialon and exhibit an X-ray diffraction peak intensity ratio R[(I.sub.21R/I.sub.A)×100] of 5% or greater and smaller than 30%, wherein I.sub.A represents the sum of the peak intensities of the sialon species, and I.sub.21R represents the peak intensity of 21R-sialon, the ratio being calculated from the peak intensities of the sialon species obtained by using X-ray diffractometry.

To provide a sintered material having excellent oxidation resistance, as well as excellent abrasion resistance and chipping resistance. A sintered material containing a first compound formed of Ti, Al, Si, O, and N is provided.

A method of making a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN), material is provided. The matrix precursor powder comprises an aluminium compound. The method comprises mixing matrix precursor powder comprising particles having an average particle size no greater than 250 nm, with between 30 and 40 volume percent of cubic boron nitride (cBN) particles having an average particle size of at least 4 μm, and then spark plasma sintering the mixed particles. The spark plasma sintering occurs at a pressure of at least 500 MPa, a temperature of no less than 1050° C. and no more than 1500° C. and a time of no less than 1 minute and no more than 3 minutes.

A method of manufacturing a silicon-containing oxide-coated aluminum nitride particle; a method of manufacturing a heat dispersing resin composition containing the silicon-containing oxide-coated aluminum nitride particle; and the silicon-containing oxide-coated aluminum nitride particle. The method of manufacturing includes: a first step of covering the surface of the aluminum nitride particle with an organic silicone compound including a specific structure; and a second step of heating the aluminum nitride particle covered with the organic silicone compound at a temperature of 300° C. or more and less than 1000° C., wherein the content of carbon atoms in the silicon-containing oxide-coated aluminum nitride particle is less than 1000 ppm by mass.

(i) a step of disposing a powder that includes an absorber absorbing light of a wavelength included in a laser beam to be irradiated and silicon dioxide as a main component; (ii) a step of sintering or melting and solidifying the powder by irradiating the powder with a laser beam; and (iii) a step of heat-treating a shaped object formed by repeating the steps (i) and (ii) at 1470° C. or more and less than 1730° C.