Various embodiments of a hammermill system, hammer, and methods are disclosed. A hammermill hammer comprises a metal composite comprising a plurality of inserts and a body portion disposed between each of the plurality of inserts. The composition of the plurality of inserts is different than composition of the body portion. The material of the plurality of inserts has a greater abrasion resistance than the material of the body portion and the material of the body portion has a greater impact resistance than the material of the inserts. The hammers produced have improved wear resistance and longer useful life compared to conventional hammermill hammers.

Various embodiments of a hammermill system, hammer, and methods are disclosed. A hammermill hammer comprises a metal composite comprising a plurality of inserts and a body portion disposed between each of the plurality of inserts. The composition of the plurality of inserts is different than composition of the body portion. The material of the plurality of inserts has a greater abrasion resistance than the material of the body portion and the material of the body portion has a greater impact resistance than the material of the inserts. The hammers produced have improved wear resistance and longer useful life compared to conventional hammermill hammers.

A crushing or wear part includes an un-reinforced steel alloy body and at least one in-situ cast localized composite wear zone disposed in the steel alloy body formed of metal carbide or metal boride particles selected from TiC, ZrC, WC, NbC, TaC, TiB.sub.2, and ZrB.sub.2 distributed in a steel alloy matrix. The at least one in-situ cast localized composite wear zone has a Vickers Hardness that is at least 700 and at least 50% greater than a Vickers Hardness of the un-reinforced steel alloy body. A bonding region that is located between the in-situ cast localized composite wear zone and the steel alloy body is continuous and free of cracks, and the in-situ cast localized composite wear zone is unfragmented.

A crushing or wear part includes an un-reinforced steel alloy body and at least one in-situ cast localized composite wear zone disposed in the steel alloy body formed of metal carbide or metal boride particles selected from TiC, ZrC, WC, NbC, TaC, TiB.sub.2, and ZrB.sub.2 distributed in a steel alloy matrix. The at least one in-situ cast localized composite wear zone has a Vickers Hardness that is at least 700 and at least 50% greater than a Vickers Hardness of the un-reinforced steel alloy body. A bonding region that is located between the in-situ cast localized composite wear zone and the steel alloy body is continuous and free of cracks, and the in-situ cast localized composite wear zone is unfragmented.

Various embodiments of a hammermill system, hammer, and methods are disclosed. A hammermill hammer comprises a metal composite comprising a plurality of inserts and a body portion disposed between each of the plurality of inserts. The composition of the plurality of inserts is different than composition of the body portion. The material of the plurality of inserts has a greater abrasion resistance than the material of the body portion and the material of the body portion has a greater impact resistance than the material of the inserts. The hammers produced have improved wear resistance and longer useful life compared to conventional hammermill hammers.

Various embodiments of a hammermill system, hammer, and methods are disclosed. A hammermill hammer comprises a metal composite comprising a plurality of inserts and a body portion disposed between each of the plurality of inserts. The composition of the plurality of inserts is different than composition of the body portion. The material of the plurality of inserts has a greater abrasion resistance than the material of the body portion and the material of the body portion has a greater impact resistance than the material of the inserts. The hammers produced have improved wear resistance and longer useful life compared to conventional hammermill hammers.

The disclosed drill tools have metal matrix composite (MMC) or steel alloy bodies that are formed around one or more pre-fabricated components using either a casting or infiltration process. The pre-fabricated components are made of sintered, infiltrated, and/or cemented particles of an ultrahard material, and may form any suitable portion of the bit blades. The pre-fabricated components may be loaded into a machined mold, and the mold cavity is subsequently filled with powder, such as tungsten carbide powder, filler metal powder, binder metal powder, or combinations thereof. During a casting or infiltration process, the mold and pre-fabricated components are heated to a sufficient temperature to melt the binder metal and/or filler metal, wherein the molten metal superficially interacts with the inner surfaces of the pre-fabricated components to form a metallurgical bond to secure the pre-fabricated components to the bit body.

The disclosed drill tools have metal matrix composite (MMC) or steel alloy bodies that are formed around one or more pre-fabricated components using either a casting or infiltration process. The pre-fabricated components are made of sintered, infiltrated, and/or cemented particles of an ultrahard material, and may form any suitable portion of the bit blades. The pre-fabricated components may be loaded into a machined mold, and the mold cavity is subsequently filled with powder, such as tungsten carbide powder, filler metal powder, binder metal powder, or combinations thereof. During a casting or infiltration process, the mold and pre-fabricated components are heated to a sufficient temperature to melt the binder metal and/or filler metal, wherein the molten metal superficially interacts with the inner surfaces of the pre-fabricated components to form a metallurgical bond to secure the pre-fabricated components to the bit body.