Valenite, Inc.

Stephen L Bennett

Deepak G Bhat

Darrell Johnson

Mark John Jagner

J Gary Baldoni

An eta-phase-free cemented carbide insert with improved surface hardness and wear resistance containing WC, and possibly cubic phases of a carbide and/or carbonitride, in a binder phase of Co, Ni, Fe or a combination thereof, with a binder phase gradient in the surface and near surface regions, is disclosed. The nominal binder phase content in the insert is 3-20 weight %. The surface, and near surface cobalt content is 50-100% of the binder phase content of the inner portion of the insert. The insert is formed by standard sintering practices, followed by the chemical removal of the binder phase from the surface and near surface regions of the insert. The insert is then heat treated at a temperature of 1300-1350&#xb0; C. in a carburizing atmosphere, for a time of 5-400 minutes to cause diffusion of the binder phase from the interior into the binder depleted surface regions.

Cemented carbide article having binder gradient and process for producing the same

Methods for producing an adherent diamond film on a cemented metal carbide substrate are disclosed. Particularly, the present invention discloses methods of preparing the surface of a cemented metal carbide surface such that an adherent polycrystalline diamond coating may be deposited thereon using CVD techniques. Cutting tool inserts produced from such adherent diamond film coated cemented metal carbide articles are also disclosed.

Methods of preparing cemented metal carbide substrates for deposition of

Processes are disclosed in which cemented carbide parts, having a wide range of initial carbon levels, and a wide range of sizes, can be carburized to a critical carbon level, and then slow cooled at various rates, to yield stratified enriched zones in the near-surface region of said parts. The enriched zones are characterized by the cobalt content decreasing, and the microhardness increasing, continuously through the enriched zones, and approaching values characteristic of the interior. The combination of stratified enriched zones in the near surface region and the 6% binder interior provide the toughness and deformation resistance required for heavy roughing applications. A wide variety of cemented carbides, having different compositions and WC grain sizes, can also be carburized and slow cooled using the same techniques to yield stratified binder enriched zones having the same hardness profiles and cobalt content profiles as described above.

Stratified enriched zones formed by the gas phase carburization and the

A process for producing a ceramic-metal composite body exhibiting binder enrichment and improved fracture toughness at its surface. The process involves forming a shaped body from a homogeneous mixture of: (a) about 2-15 w/o Co or about 2-12 w/o Ni binder, (b) excess carbon, (c) optionally, 0 to less than 5.0 v/o B-1 carbides, and (d) remainder tungsten carbide. The mixture contains sufficient total carbon to result in an ASTM carbon porosity rating of C06 to C08 at the core of the densified body. The weight ratio of excess carbon to binder is about 0.05:1 to 0.037:1. The shaped body is densified in a vacuum or inert atmosphere at or above about 1300.degree. C. and slow cooled, at least to about 25.degree. below the eutectic temperature. Alternatively, the sintered body may be cooled to a holding temperature at or slightly above the eutectic temperature, isothermally held for at least 1/2 hr, and further cooled to ambient. The core zone of the resulting densified body exhibits an ASTM carbon porosity rating of about C02-C08, while its surface zone exhibits an ASTM carbon porosity rating of about C00. The surface zone has an outer surface layer enriched in binder content to a depth of about 5-200 .mu.m, improving the surface fracture toughness of the body. Sintering temperature and pressure may be tailored to produce efficiently either a tool suitable for coating or a tool suitable for brazing.

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Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Stephen L Bennett