Provided is a cemented carbide suitable for use as a material in the manufacture of a punch for metal forming and in particular for the manufacture of metal beverage cans. The cemented carbide may include a hard phase that includes WC, a binder phase and a gamma phase. The gamma phase may include metal carbides in combination with metal nitrides or metal carbonitrides. A quotient of the average grain size of WC/the average grain size of the gamma phase may be in a range of from 0.5 to 1.5.

Provided is a cemented carbide suitable for use as a material in the manufacture of a punch for metal forming and in particular for the manufacture of metal beverage cans. The cemented carbide may include a hard phase that includes WC, a binder phase and a gamma phase. The gamma phase may include metal carbides in combination with metal nitrides or metal carbonitrides. A quotient of the average grain size of WC/the average grain size of the gamma phase may be in a range of from 0.5 to 1.5.

Disclosed is a method for preparing a carbon-reinforced metal-ceramic composite material, including: mixing raw materials of carbon, copper, zinc, titanium, copper oxide, calcium oxide and titanium dioxide, ball-milling the raw materials with a medium of ethanol to obtain a mixture, drying and milling the mixture to obtain a powder, sintering the powder with a laser having an irradiation power ranging from 100 to 600 W and an irradiation period of 3 min to 10 min to obtain a product, and rapidly cooling the product to allow a temperature of the product to be decreased to the room temperature within 5 min to obtain the carbon-reinforced metal-ceramic composite material.

A composition of matter defined by the general formula of M.sub.2+vL.sub.1−vX.sub.2, wherein: X is carbon; M represents a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ta, Sc, Cr, Zr, Mo, V, and Nb; and L represents a lanthanide element selected from the group consisting of Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu.

A composition of matter defined by the general formula of M.sub.2+vL.sub.1−vX.sub.2, wherein: X is carbon; M represents a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ta, Sc, Cr, Zr, Mo, V, and Nb; and L represents a lanthanide element selected from the group consisting of Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu.

A Composition of matter defined by the general formula of M1M2M3M4X.sub.3 wherein: X is carbon; and M1, M2, M3, and M4 each represent a different transition metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ta, Sc, Cr, Zr, Hf, Mo, V, and Nb.

A method of producing a cubic boron nitride sintered material includes: forming an organic cubic boron nitride powder by attaching an organic substance onto a cubic boron nitride source material powder; preparing a powder mixture including more than or equal to 85 volume % and less than 100 volume % of the organic cubic boron nitride powder and a remainder of a binder source material powder by mixing the organic cubic boron nitride powder and the binder source material powder, the binder source material powder including WC, Co and Al; and obtaining the cubic boron nitride sintered material by sintering the powder mixture.

A method of producing a cubic boron nitride sintered material includes: forming an organic cubic boron nitride powder by attaching an organic substance onto a cubic boron nitride source material powder; preparing a powder mixture including more than or equal to 85 volume % and less than 100 volume % of the organic cubic boron nitride powder and a remainder of a binder source material powder by mixing the organic cubic boron nitride powder and the binder source material powder, the binder source material powder including WC, Co and Al; and obtaining the cubic boron nitride sintered material by sintering the powder mixture.

Systems and methods for making ceramic powders configured with consistent, tailored characteristics and/or properties are provided herein. In some embodiments a system for making ceramic powders, includes: a reactor body having a reaction chamber and configured with a heat source to provide a hot zone along the reaction chamber; a sweep gas inlet configured to direct a sweep gas into the reaction chamber and a sweep gas outlet configured to direct an exhaust gas from the reaction chamber; a plurality of containers, within the reactor body, configured to retain at least one preform, wherein each container is configured to permit the sweep gas to flow therethrough, wherein the preform is configured to permit the sweep gas to flow there through, such that the precursor mixture is reacted in the hot zone to form a ceramic powder product having uniform properties.

Systems and methods for making ceramic powders configured with consistent, tailored characteristics and/or properties are provided herein. In some embodiments a system for making ceramic powders, includes: a reactor body having a reaction chamber and configured with a heat source to provide a hot zone along the reaction chamber; a sweep gas inlet configured to direct a sweep gas into the reaction chamber and a sweep gas outlet configured to direct an exhaust gas from the reaction chamber; a plurality of containers, within the reactor body, configured to retain at least one preform, wherein each container is configured to permit the sweep gas to flow therethrough, wherein the preform is configured to permit the sweep gas to flow there through, such that the precursor mixture is reacted in the hot zone to form a ceramic powder product having uniform properties.