A drawing die made from cemented carbide material is formed of tungsten carbide and a metallic binder. The cemented carbide material includes: tungsten carbide with an average grain size of 0.15-1.3 μm, 0.5-5.0 wt.-% (Co+Ni), with a ratio Co/(Co+Ni) of 0.6-0.9; 0.1-1.0 wt.-% Cr, with 0.05≤Cr/(Co+Ni)≤0.22; 0.02-0.2 wt.-% Mo; and 0-0.04 wt.-% V. The cemented carbide material is substantially free from η-phase.

Provided is a method of producing a composite having high strength and high thermal conductivity. The method includes: an alloy preparation step including preparing an alloy which is a solid solution containing α-Fe as a solvent and at least one type of α-phase stabilizing element as a solute; a first mixing step including mixing at least one type of α-phase stabilizing element in powder form and SiC to prepare a first mixture; a second mixing step including mixing the alloy and the first mixture to prepare a second mixture; and a sintering step including sintering the second mixture.

Provided is a method of producing a composite having high strength and high thermal conductivity. The method includes: an alloy preparation step including preparing an alloy which is a solid solution containing α-Fe as a solvent and at least one type of α-phase stabilizing element as a solute; a first mixing step including mixing at least one type of α-phase stabilizing element in powder form and SiC to prepare a first mixture; a second mixing step including mixing the alloy and the first mixture to prepare a second mixture; and a sintering step including sintering the second mixture.

A heterogeneous composite consisting of near-nano ceramic clusters dispersed within a ductile matrix. The composite is formed through the high temperature compaction of a starting powder consisting of a core of ceramic nanoparticles held together with metallic binder. This core is clad with a ductile metal such that when the final powder is consolidated, the ductile metal forms a tough, near-zero contiguity matrix. The material is consolidated using any means that will maintain its heterogeneous structure.

Provided is a cemented carbide having superior wear resistance and fracture resistance. A cemented carbide containing 50.0 mass % or more and 94.5 mass % or less of tungsten carbide, 5.0 mass % or more and 12.0 mass % or less of Co, and 0.5 mass % or more and 4.0 mass % or less of Ru, the cemented carbide comprising a WC phase that includes tungsten carbide as a main component, and a binder phase that binds the WC phase, wherein the binder phase contains Co, the lattice constant of Co in the binder phase is 3.580 Å or more and 3.610 Å or less, and the saturation magnetization of the cemented carbide is 40% or more and 58% or less.

A metal matrix composite composition includes tungsten carbide in an amount of 45 wt % to 72 wt % of the composition. In addition, the composition includes a binder in an amount of 28 wt % to 55 wt % of the composition. The binder includes nickel in an amount of at least 99 wt % of the binder.

A cutting tool made of a cemented carbide substrate of WC, a metallic binder phase and gamma phase is provided. The cemented carbide has a well distributed gamma phase and a reduced amount of abnormal WC grains. The cutting tool has a more predicted tool life and an increased resistance against plastic deformation.

Provided are a cemented carbide having excellent plastic deformation resistance and a cutting tool in which the cemented carbide is used as a substrate. A cemented carbide includes a hard phase containing tungsten carbide particles and a binder phase containing, as a main component, an iron-group element, wherein the formula B/A≤0.05 is satisfied, where A represents the number of the tungsten carbide particles, and B represents the number of tungsten carbide particles whose number of contact points with other tungsten carbide particles is 1 or less. Preferably, the iron-group element includes cobalt, and the cobalt content in the cemented carbide is 8% by mass or more. Preferably, the tungsten carbide particles have an average particle diameter of 3 μm or more.

A rock drill insert made of cemented carbide includes hard constituents of tungsten carbide (WC) in a binder phase of Ni—Cr, or Ni—Co—Cr, and a balance of WC and unavoidable impurities. The cemented carbide has a 3.5-18 wt % binder phase. The binder phase has >0 wt % Ni. The mass ratio Cr/(Ni+Co) is 0.02-0.19. A difference between the hardness at 0.3 mm depth at some point of the surface of the rock drill insert and the minimum hardness of the bulk of the rock drill insert is at least 30 HV3.

A coated tool of the present disclosure may include a base and a coating layer covering at least a part of the base. The base may include a hard phase of a carbonitride including Ti and a binder phase including at least one of Co and Ni and has a thermal expansion coefficient at 25 to 1000° C. of 9.0×10.sup.−6/° C. or more. The coating layer may include a TiCN layer and an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 layer positioned on the TiCN layer. The TiCN layer may have a compressive stress of 250 to 500 MPa. The Al.sub.2O.sub.3 layer may have a thickness of 2 μm or more and a compressive stress of 450 MPa or more, and the value of the compressive stress is greater than the compressive stress of the TiCN layer.