A method of treating a sintered mining insert including cemented carbide includes the step of subjecting the mining insert to a surface hardening process. The surface hardening process is executed at an elevated temperature of or above 100° C. A mining insert is also provided, wherein the HV1 Vickers hardness measurement increase (HV1%) from the surface region, measured as an average of HV1 measurements taken at 100 μm, 200 μm and 300 μm below the surface, compared to the HV1 Vickers hardness measured in the bulk (HV1bulk), is at least 8.05-0.00350×HV1bulk.

A blower (100) blows inert gas. A crusher (200) repeats vitrifying plural kinds of inorganic compounds (A1) by mechanical energy and blowing up the plural kinds of vitrified inorganic compounds (A1) by the inert gas blown from the blower (100). At least some of the plural kinds of inorganic compounds (A1) blown up by the inert gas enter into a first collector (300). The first collector (300) returns the at least some of the plural kinds of inorganic compounds to the crusher (200). A system (S) (for example, a pipe (Pa), a buffer tank (110), a pipe (Pb), a pipe (Pc), and a pipe (Pi) described below) circulates the inert gas from the blower (100) through the crusher (200) and the first collector (300) to the blower (100).

A powder core includes a compact including a soft magnetic powder, and an outer coating of the compact. The outer coating contains polyethersulfone. An electric or electronic component including the powder core, and an electric or electronic device having the electric or electronic component mounted therein are also provided.

Methods for forming particulates that are highly consistent with regard to shape, size, and content are described. Particulates are suitable for use as reference materials. Methods can incorporate actinides and/or lanthanides, e.g., uranium, and can be used for forming certified reference materials for use in the nuclear industry. Methods include formation of an aerosol from an oxalate salt solution, in-line diagnostics, and collection of particles of the aerosol either in a liquid impinger or on a solid surface.

A cermet, as a base, containing a plurality of hard particles and a bonded phase between the plurality of hard particles. Each of the plurality of hard particles, when viewed in cross section, includes a first region containing Ti, N, and C, and contains a titanium carbonitride phase as a main constituent. Each of the plurality of hard particles, when viewed in cross-section, includes a second region containing one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Co, and Ni in a larger amount than the first region. The content of the one or more metal elements in the second region is 9.5 mass % or more in a total amount. A cutting tool has a length extending from a first end to a second end, and includes a holder and the insert described above.

A method of forming a super hard polycrystalline construction comprises forming a liquid suspension of a first mass of nano-ceramic particles and a mass of particles or grains of super hard material having an average particle or grain size of 1 or more microns, dispersing the particles or grains in the liquid suspension to form a substantially homogeneous suspension, drying the suspension to form an admix of the nano-ceramic and super hard grains or particles, and forming a pre-sinter assembly comprising the admix. The pre-sinter assembly is then sintered to form a body of polycrystalline super hard material comprising a first fraction of super hard grains and a second fraction, the nano-ceramic particles forming the second fraction.

The super hard grains are spaced along at least a portion of the peripheral surface by one or more nano-ceramic grains, the super hard grains having a greater average grain size than that of the grains in the second fraction which have an average size of less than around 999 nm.

A method of forming a super hard polycrystalline construction comprises forming a liquid suspension of a first mass of nano-ceramic particles and a mass of particles or grains of super hard material having an average particle or grain size of 1 or more microns, dispersing the particles or grains in the liquid suspension to form a substantially homogeneous suspension, drying the suspension to form an admix of the nano-ceramic and super hard grains or particles, and forming a pre-sinter assembly comprising the admix. The pre-sinter assembly is then sintered to form a body of polycrystalline super hard material comprising a first fraction of super hard grains and a second fraction, the nano-ceramic particles forming the second fraction.

The super hard grains are spaced along at least a portion of the peripheral surface by one or more nano-ceramic grains, the super hard grains having a greater average grain size than that of the grains in the second fraction which have an average size of less than around 999 nm.

The metal ceramic powder with a particle size of 15-45 .Math.m and suitable for thermal spraying is prepared through a combination of mechanical ball milling, spray granulation, and vacuum sintering. The metal ceramic powder is sprayed on a surface of a steel substrate adopting the high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) technology with oxygen-propane as fuel and taking oxygen as a combustion improver, propane as fuel, nitrogen as powder feeding carrier gas, and air as a cooling medium to prepare and form the NiCrBSi—ZrB2 composite coating. The present disclosure solves the problem that ZrB.sub.2 ceramic is difficult to compact during sintering and improves powder bonding strength and fluidity. The preparation method is simple, has advantages of high coating deposition efficiency and convenient equipment operation, and is cost-effective. The preparation method can improve thermal corrosion resistance and high-temperature wear resistance of a surface of boiler, and prolonging lifetime of the boiler.

The metal ceramic powder with a particle size of 15-45 .Math.m and suitable for thermal spraying is prepared through a combination of mechanical ball milling, spray granulation, and vacuum sintering. The metal ceramic powder is sprayed on a surface of a steel substrate adopting the high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) technology with oxygen-propane as fuel and taking oxygen as a combustion improver, propane as fuel, nitrogen as powder feeding carrier gas, and air as a cooling medium to prepare and form the NiCrBSi—ZrB2 composite coating. The present disclosure solves the problem that ZrB.sub.2 ceramic is difficult to compact during sintering and improves powder bonding strength and fluidity. The preparation method is simple, has advantages of high coating deposition efficiency and convenient equipment operation, and is cost-effective. The preparation method can improve thermal corrosion resistance and high-temperature wear resistance of a surface of boiler, and prolonging lifetime of the boiler.

A method of forming a super hard polycrystalline construction comprises forming a liquid suspension of nano-sized super hard particles and particles of super hard material having an average particle or grain size of 1 or more microns, dispersing the particles in the liquid suspension to form a substantially homogeneous suspension which is then dried and sintered to form a body of polycrystalline super hard material comprising a first and second fractions of super hard grains, the nano-sized particles forming the second fraction. The super hard grains in the first fraction are bonded along at least a portion of the peripheral surface(s) thereof to at least a portion of a plurality of nano-sized grains in the second fraction, the grains in the first fraction having a greater average grain size than that of the grains in the second fraction which is less than 999 nm, the average grain size of the first fraction being around 1 micron or more