A metal-ceramic article and method for creating the same is disclosed in which the article has undergone machining to remove outer surface volume. The intermediate layer of the article includes a gradient of a metal and metal-ceramic that diminishes toward a metal core.

A metal-ceramic article and method for creating the same is disclosed in which the article has undergone machining to remove outer surface volume. The intermediate layer of the article includes a gradient of a metal and metal-ceramic that diminishes toward a metal core.

Object: To provide a cBN sintered compact having high wear resistance, and a cutting tool having high wear resistance that uses the cBN sintered compact. Solution: A cBN sintered compact (1) including 50 vol. % or greater of cBN particles (2); and a binder phase (4) including Co; wherein in the binder phase (4), intra-phase particles (8) including Co.sub.aW.sub.b (where 0≤a≤0.95 and 0.05≤b≤1) are present. Additionally, a cutting insert (20) or similar cutting tool either includes a cBN tip (25) made from the cBN sintered compact (1) or is entirely made from the cBN sintered compact (1). The cBN sintered compact (1) and the cutting insert (20) or similar cutting tool have increased wear resistance.

Object: To provide a cBN sintered compact having high wear resistance, and a cutting tool having high wear resistance that uses the cBN sintered compact. Solution: A cBN sintered compact (1) including 50 vol. % or greater of cBN particles (2); and a binder phase (4) including Co; wherein in the binder phase (4), intra-phase particles (8) including Co.sub.aW.sub.b (where 0≤a≤0.95 and 0.05≤b≤1) are present. Additionally, a cutting insert (20) or similar cutting tool either includes a cBN tip (25) made from the cBN sintered compact (1) or is entirely made from the cBN sintered compact (1). The cBN sintered compact (1) and the cutting insert (20) or similar cutting tool have increased wear resistance.

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.

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 cubic boron nitride sintered material includes: more than or equal to 85 volume % and less than 100 volume % of cubic boron nitride grains; and a remainder of a binder, wherein the binder includes WC, Co and an Al compound, and when a TEM-EDX is used to analyze an interface region including an interface at which the cubic boron nitride grains are adjacent to each other, oxygen exists on a whole or part of the interface, and a width D of a region in which the oxygen exists is more than or equal to 0.1 nm and less than or equal to 10 nm.

A cubic boron nitride sintered material includes: more than or equal to 85 volume % and less than 100 volume % of cubic boron nitride grains; and a remainder of a binder, wherein the binder includes WC, Co and an Al compound, and when a TEM-EDX is used to analyze an interface region including an interface at which the cubic boron nitride grains are adjacent to each other, oxygen exists on a whole or part of the interface, and a width D of a region in which the oxygen exists is more than or equal to 0.1 nm and less than or equal to 10 nm.

The sintered material includes a powder-derived material containing one or both of a nitride and an oxynitride, each of which contains at least one first metal element selected from the group consisting of group 4 elements, group 5 elements and group 6 elements in the periodic table, the rate y1/x1 of the atomic ratio y1 of non-metal element atoms in the powder-derived material to the atomic ratio x1 of metal element atoms therein is greater than 1, and the powder-derived material has a cubic structure.