The invention relates to a copper alloy such as, for example, CuNi6Sn5Fe2P0.15, which has hard particles such as, for example, Fe3P or Fe2P and optionally solid lubricants such as, for example, hexagonal boron nitrides or graphite. The invention further relates to the use of said copper alloy for a bearing and to a bearing having said copper alloy. The invention further relates to a method for producing a bearing having a copper alloy, wherein a metal powder is produced, for example, by means of melt atomization, hard particles and optional solid lubricants are optionally added to said powder, and the powder is sintered onto a substrate. Finally, the invention relates to an alternative method for producing a bearing, wherein the copper alloy is applied to a substrate by means of casting or plating or wherein the bearing is made completely of the copper alloy.

A cubic boron nitride sintered body including cubic boron nitride and a binder phase, wherein: a content ratio of the cubic boron nitride is 85 volume % or more and 95 volume % or less, a content ratio of the binder phase is 5 volume % or more and 15 volume % or less, the binder phase contains Co.sub.3W.sub.3C, W.sub.2Co.sub.21B.sub.6, and an Al compound, and I.sub.B/I.sub.A is 0.02 or more and 0.15 or less, I.sub.C/I.sub.A is 0.02 or more and 1.00 or less, and I.sub.C?I.sub.D, where I.sub.A denotes an X-ray diffraction peak intensity of a (111) plane of the cubic boron nitride, I.sub.B denotes an X-ray diffraction peak intensity of a (400) plane of the Co.sub.3W.sub.3C, I.sub.C denotes an X-ray diffraction peak intensity of a (420) plane of the W.sub.2Co.sub.21B.sub.6, and I.sub.D denotes an X-ray diffraction peak intensity of a (001) plane of WC.

A super hard polycrystalline construction is disclosed as comprising a body of super hard material bonded to a substrate. The body of super hard material comprises an outer peripheral region formed of interbonded grains of super hard material extending peripherally around one or more inner regions, the outer peripheral region having a radial thickness proportional to the square of the ratio of the fracture toughness of the material forming said outer peripheral region to the transverse rupture strength of the material forming said outer peripheral region (I) where TRS is the transverse rupture strength and K.sub.IC is the fracture toughness.

A method of forming a super hard polycrystalline construction is disclosed as comprising placing a pre-formed structure of a first material into a canister, introducing a plurality of grains or particles of super hard material into the canister to locate the grains or particles in and/or around the pre-formed structure to form a pre-sinter assembly and treating the pre-sinter assembly at an ultra-high pressure of around 5 GPa or greater and a temperature to sinter together the grains of super hard material in the presence of a binder material to form the super hard polycrystalline construction comprising a body of polycrystalline super hard material having a first region of super hard grains in a binder material, and an embedded second region.

A super hard polycrystalline construction has a first region comprising a body of thermally stable polycrystalline super hard material having an exposed surface forming a working surface, and a peripheral side edge, said polycrystalline super hard material comprising 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 interface comprising at least a portion having an uneven topology, the third region comprising a composite material having a first phase comprising a plurality of non-intergrown grains of super hard material, and a matrix material, the third region having a wear resistance at least three times less than sintered polycrystalline diamond material having the same average grain size of diamond grains as the super hard grains in the third region.

A polycrystalline super hard construction is disclosed having a first region comprising a body of thermally stable polycrystalline super hard material having an exposed surface forming a working surface, and a peripheral side edge, the polycrystalline super hard material comprising a plurality of 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 interface comprising a portion having an uneven topology and a substantially planar portion, the third region comprising a composite material including a first phase comprising a plurality of non-intergrown diamond grains, and a matrix material.

A cubic boron nitride sintered material comprising cubic boron nitride grains, a binder phase, and a void, in which a percentage of the cubic boron nitride grains based on the total of the cubic boron nitride grains and the binder phase is 40 vol % to 70 vol %, a percentage of the binder phase based on the total of the cubic boron nitride grains and the binder phase is 30 vol % to 60 vol %, the binder phase includes 10 vol % to 100 vol % of aluminum oxide grains, an average grain size of the aluminum oxide grains is 50 to 250 nm, the cubic boron nitride sintered material comprises 0.001 vol % to 0.100 vol % of one or more first voids, and at least one portion of each of the first voids is in contact with the aluminum oxide grains.

Conventional sintering processes convert a portion of cBN to hBN which is softer than cBN which negatively affects functional properties of an alumina composite. The invention is directed to method for making an alumina-cubic boron nitride (Al.sub.2O.sub.3-cBN) composite that contains substantially no hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) by non-conventional spark plasma sintering of cBN with nano-sized alumina particles. The invention is also directed to Al.sub.2O.sub.3-cBN/Ni composites, which contain substantially no hBN, and which exhibit superior physical and mechanical properties compared to alumina composites containing higher amounts of hBN.

Conventional sintering processes convert a portion of cBN to hBN which is softer than cBN which negatively affects functional properties of an alumina composite. The invention is directed to method for making an alumina-cubic boron nitride (Al.sub.2O.sub.3-cBN) composite that contains substantially no hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) by non-conventional spark plasma sintering of cBN with nano-sized alumina particles. The invention is also directed to Al.sub.2O.sub.3-cBN/Ni composites, which contain substantially no hBN, and which exhibit superior physical and mechanical properties compared to alumina composites containing higher amounts of hBN.

A method for fabricating tungsten carbide cermet components or parts employs powder bed fusion of powder mixture of ceramic particles and metal binder. Some embodiments also include a step of hot isostatic pressing to increase the density of the part.