Patent ID: 7309466

Claim:
A method of producing a sintered cemented carbide body comprising the steps of providing a powder mixture comprising tungsten carbide powder, a binder metal powder comprising at least one metal of the iron group or an alloy thereof, and at least one or both of a solid solution carbide powder of a combination of zirconium and niobium or a solid solution carbonitride powder of a combination of zirconium and niobium; forming a green compact of said powder mixture; and vacuum sintering or sinter-HIP said green compact at a temperature of from 1400 to 1560° C. wherein the solid solution carbide powder of zirconium and niobium or the solid solution carbonitride powder of zirconium and niobium having a mass ratio Nb/(Zr+Nb) equal to or greater than about 0.5.