Abstract: One or more metal salts of at least one of Co, Ni and/or Fe is dissolved/suspended in water. To the solution/suspension is added at least one hard constituent powder to form a slurry. The solvent is evaporated, preferably by spray drying, and the resultant powder is heat treated in a reducing atmosphere. As a result, a coated hard constituent powder is obtained which, after addition of a pressing agent, can be compacted and sintered according to standard practice. In addition to or instead of said salt of Co, Ni and/or Fe, a soluble salt of Mo and/or W can be used.

Abstract: A corrosion resistant material contains essentially WC, and 0.1 to 10 weight-%, preferably 0.5 to 5 weight-%, of one or more of the metallic carbides TiC, VC, NbC, TaC, Cr.sub.3 C.sub.2, ZrC or combinations thereof or with WC, and either spherical graphite and/or spherical hexagonal BN up to 10 volume-% with a size of about 3 .mu.m or 1-5 weight % of one or more of VN, Ti(C,N), CrN, ZrN. In applications with sliding surfaces, it has been found that the material has surprising results regarding low friction characteristics.

Abstract: A cermet useful in the fabrication of metal cutting, rockdrilling and mineral tools, as well as wear parts. The cermet comprises (i) a hard phase of a simple boride of a transition metal, a mixture of simple borides of transition metals, or a mixed boride of transition metals; (ii) a binder phase of Fe, Ni, Co, Cr, or alloys thereof; (iii) a dispersion of particles of oxides of transition metals in which the oxygen can be replaced by nitrogen and/or carbon; and (iv) a dispersion of oxides of metals chosen from aluminum and Group IIA and IIIA metals.