The invention concerns the field of hardmetal materials and relates to hardmetals such as those which can, for example, be used as cutting material for tools. The object of the present invention is to specify hardmetals which include a novel concept for the structural composition of the hardmetals. The object is attained with hardmetals which are at least made up of hard phases in particle form and metal binder arranged therebetween, wherein a high-entropy hard phase (HEH) is composed of at least four metals (Me) of the 4th and/or 5th and/or 6th subgroup of the PTE in the form of a solid solution of carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides, oxycarbides, and/or oxycarbonitrides of the metals, wherein the respective amounts of the metals in the HEH are essentially equal.

A sinterable compound may comprise one or more Ga-alkali metal alloys (and/or one or more Hg-alkali metal amalgams) and one or more filler materials (e.g., one or more dielectric materials). To form a dielectric article or other article, the compound may be formed into a desired shape. Raising the temperature of the compound initiates an exothermic reaction of alkali metal and water and causes the filler materials to self-sinter.

A cutting tool includes a cemented carbide substrate. The cemented carbide consists of hard constituents in a metallic binder. The hard constituents include WC. The WC content in the cemented carbide is 80-93 wt %. The cemented carbide has Ni and Al, and a Ni content of 3-13 wt %, a weight ratio of Co/Ni<0.33, a weight ratio of Fe/Ni<0.25, a weight ratio of Cr/Ni<0.25 and a weight ratio of 0.02<Al/(Ni+Co+Fe)<0.1. The crack resistance W is defined as the ratio of the load applied on a Vickers hardness indentation and the total crack length of the cracks formed at the corners of the Vickers hardness indentation. The product of the hardness H(rake) at the rake face and the crack resistance W(rake) at the rake face is H(rake)*W(rake)>5000 HV100*N/μm.

Articles comprising at least a portion of an earth-boring tool include at least one insert and a solidified eutectic or near-eutectic composition including a metal phase and a hard material phase. Other articles include a solidified eutectic or near-eutectic composition including a metal phase, a hard material phase and a coating material in contact with the solidified eutectic or near-eutectic composition.

The invention relates to a cemented carbide composition producing method for precious metal, which includes a titanium nitride component contained therein and shows excellent workability, corrosion resistance, reduction in weight and other desirable mechanical properties, as well as the low amount of nickel used as a metallic binder and an aluminum oxide coating helps to suppress potential negative skin reactions.

The present invention relates to a technique of dramatically improving a method for causing a molten metal of an Al alloy or the like to infiltrate without pressurization into a preform obtained by molding and hardening a ceramic powder, and obtaining “a metal matrix composite formed from a ceramic powder and an Al alloy or the like” in a uniform state as a whole more simply and stably, and the present invention provides “a production method for producing a metal matrix composite containing aluminum and ceramic, the method including: obtaining a mixed body by performing molding using a mixture containing a magnesium-containing powder, a ceramic powder, and an inorganic or organic/inorganic binder that is hardened when heated to 500° C. or lower; preparing a preform by calcining the mixed body at a temperature of 500° C. or lower; and causing an Al alloy or the like to infiltrate without pressurization into the obtained preform to produce the metal matrix composite containing aluminum and ceramic, and a method for preparing the preform.”

A reactive matrix infiltration process is described herein, which includes contacting a surface of a preform comprising reinforcement material particles with a molten infiltrant comprising a matrix material, the matrix material comprising an Al—Ce alloy, whereby the infiltrant at least partially fills spaces between the reinforcement material particles by capillary action and reacts with the reinforcement material particles to form a composite material form, the composite material comprising the matrix material, at least one intermetallic phase, and, optionally, reinforcement material particles. A composite material form also is described, which includes a plurality of reinforcement material particles comprising a metal alloy or a ceramic, a matrix material at least partially filling spaces between the reinforcement material particles; and at least one intermetallic phase surrounding at least some of the reinforcement material particles. The reinforcement material particles and intermetallic phase together may form a gradient core-shell structure.

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.

A metal contact of a residential circuit breaker with ordered ceramic microparticles is provided. The metal contact comprises an electrical contact material comprising a metal alloy and ceramic particles to form a metal matrix composite material. Both materials the metal alloy and the ceramic particles are present together as a metal compound but without forming an alloy. The metal compound is a matrix and reinforcement being the ceramic particles such that first the ceramic particles has a sintering step to get a homogeneous preform for the metal compound being porous with a controlled size obtained by pressing a particle size of about few micrometers of the ceramic particles and then a liquid metal infiltration step to provide a homogenous distribution of the metal alloy and the ceramic particles in a three-dimensional open porous arrangement and the homogenous distribution results in ordered microstructures.

A metal contact of a residential circuit breaker with ordered ceramic microparticles is provided. The metal contact comprises an electrical contact material comprising a metal alloy and ceramic particles to form a metal matrix composite material. Both materials the metal alloy and the ceramic particles are present together as a metal compound but without forming an alloy. The metal compound is a matrix and reinforcement being the ceramic particles such that first the ceramic particles has a sintering step to get a homogeneous preform for the metal compound being porous with a controlled size obtained by pressing a particle size of about few micrometers of the ceramic particles and then a liquid metal infiltration step to provide a homogenous distribution of the metal alloy and the ceramic particles in a three-dimensional open porous arrangement and the homogenous distribution results in ordered microstructures.