Patent ID: 7556668
Filing Date: 2009-07-07
Classification: B22F,C22C,E21B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for making a consolidated hard material comprising: providing a binder including a material selected from the group consisting of iron-based alloys, nickel-based alloys, iron and nickel-based alloys, iron and cobalt-based alloys, aluminum-based alloys, copper-based alloys, magnesium-based alloys, and titanium-based alloys, commercially pure aluminum, commercially pure copper, commercially pure magnesium, commercially pure titanium, commercially pure iron and commercially pure nickel; providing a plurality of hard particles selected from the group consisting of boron carbide, carbides of the group consisting of W, Ti, Mo, Nb, V, Hf, Ta, Zr, and Cr, and borides of the group consisting of W, Ti, Mo, Nb, V, Hf, Ta, Zr, and Cr; selecting the binder and the hard particles to have closely matching coefficients of thermal expansion over a temperature range extending from about 0° C. to about 400° C.; mixing a first quantity of the binder with a second quantity of the plurality of hard particles to form a mixture; selecting the first quantity of the binder to cause the mixture to comprise between 5 weight percent and 39 weight percent binder; selecting the second quantity of the plurality of hard particles to cause the mixture to comprise between 61 weight percent and 95 weight percent hard particles; pressing the mixture of the binder and the plurality of hard particles into a pressed shape; and substantially simultaneously rapidly consolidating and sintering the pressed shape including the plurality of hard particles and the binder below a liquidus temperature of the binder to cause each hard particle of the plurality of hard particles to be cemented in, and in direct contact with, the binder.