A method, performed by a centrifuge, for treating toughness and hardness of drill bit buttons is provided. The centrifuge comprises a chamber formed by a stationary side wall and a bottom which is rotatable around a rotation axis, the bottom comprising one or more protrusions which at least partly extends between the rotation axis and the side wall, the side wall comprising at least six pushing elements arranged around a periphery of the side wall. The method comprises rotating, by rotation of the bottom with the protrusions, the drill bit buttons around the rotation axis, pushing, by the pushing elements, the drill bit buttons from the side wall during the rotation of the bottom, collectively forming the drill bit buttons into a torus shape at the bottom of the chamber for inducing collisions between the drill bit buttons, thereby treating the toughness and hardness of the drill bit.

An auger useable for creating an opening in the ground for a soil sensor housing wherein the sensor housing has a predetermined volume and a tapered outer surface, includes an auger made in accordance with the methods described and defined in this specification. The auger having a shaft having an outer surface of circular cross-section having an larger outer diameter at one end than the other end and a strip material having a helical shape with an inner wall having a larger inner diameter at one end than the other end of the helical shape wherein the helically shaped material is fixed over the outer diameter of the shaft to form a tapered auger with helical flighting. The volume of the opening created by an auger in the ground will provide a matching volume for a sensor housing of a predetermined volume such that substantially the full length of the tapered outer surface of the sensor is adjacent the ground along the full length/depth of the created opening.

An auger useable for creating an opening in the ground for a soil sensor housing wherein the sensor housing has a predetermined volume and a tapered outer surface, includes an auger made in accordance with the methods described and defined in this specification. The auger having a shaft having an outer surface of circular cross-section having an larger outer diameter at one end than the other end and a strip material having a helical shape with an inner wall having a larger inner diameter at one end than the other end of the helical shape wherein the helically shaped material is fixed over the outer diameter of the shaft to form a tapered auger with helical flighting. The volume of the opening created by an auger in the ground will provide a matching volume for a sensor housing of a predetermined volume such that substantially the full length of the tapered outer surface of the sensor is adjacent the ground along the full length/depth of the created opening.

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 m, 200 m and 300 m below the surface, compared to the HV1 Vickers hardness measured in the bulk (HV1bulk), is at least 8.05-0.00350HV1bulk.

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 m, 200 m and 300 m below the surface, compared to the HV1 Vickers hardness measured in the bulk (HV1bulk), is at least 8.05-0.00350HV1bulk.

A boring bit or other component for horizontal directional drilling is provided which includes a hard faced layer that is preferably made by a laser cladding bead. A subsequent or post heat treatment is applied to modify the heat affected zone (HAZ) to eliminate or reduce the hard brittle regions and/or softer regions in the base iron or steel material of the HAZ. Further, the hard faced layer may be applied in combination with carbide insert teeth that are embedded within the steel base of the boring bit body, such as by press fitting.

A boring bit or other component for horizontal directional drilling is provided which includes a hard faced layer that is preferably made by a laser cladding bead. A subsequent or post heat treatment is applied to modify the heat affected zone (HAZ) to eliminate or reduce the hard brittle regions and/or softer regions in the base iron or steel material of the HAZ. Further, the hard faced layer may be applied in combination with carbide insert teeth that are embedded within the steel base of the boring bit body, such as by press fitting.

A method of forming a cutting element comprises disposing diamond particles in a container and disposing a metal powder on a side of the diamond particles. The diamond particles and the metal powder are sintered so as to form a polycrystalline diamond material and a low-carbon steel material comprising less than 0.02 weight percent carbon and comprising an intermetallic precipitate on a side of the polycrystalline diamond material. Related cutting elements and earth-boring tools are also disclosed.

A method of forming a cutting element comprises disposing diamond particles in a container and disposing a metal powder on a side of the diamond particles. The diamond particles and the metal powder are sintered so as to form a polycrystalline diamond material and a low-carbon steel material comprising less than 0.02 weight percent carbon and comprising an intermetallic precipitate on a side of the polycrystalline diamond material. Related cutting elements and earth-boring tools are also disclosed.

A mold steel that is a steel having a composition containing, in terms of mass %: 0.07 to 0.15% of C; more than 0 and less than 0.8% of Si; more than 0 and not more than 1.0% of Mn; less than 0.05% of P; less than 0.02% of S; more than 0 and not more than 0.5% of Ni; more than 0 and less than 0.8% of Mo and W, either alone or as a complex (Mo+W); more than 0 and less than 0.15% of V; and 0.25 to 1.5% of Cu, with the balance consisting of Fe, Cr and unavoidable impurities, wherein the content of Cr is more than 4.9% and not more than 5.3% and the hardness of the mold steel is 30 to 42 HRC.