Abstract: A cemented carbide body is 1-30% by mass of binder consisting of Co, Co/Ni, Co/Fe, Co/Ni/Fe or Ni/Fe and a hard material having a hexagonal WC phase and having a face-centered cubic phase of the form (M1, M2, M3)C or (M1, M2, M3)(C, N) or (M1, M2, M3)(O, C, N) where M1=Ti and/or Zr and M2=W and M3 optionally means none or one or a plurality of the elements Ta, Nb, Hf, Cr, Mo or V, wherein the proportion of the face-centered cubic phase based on the total mass is 2% to 97%, preferably 5 to 12% by mass, and the microstructure of the hexagonal phase and of the face-centered cubic phase has a mean grain size of between 0.2 ?m and 1 ?m, preferably ?0.9 ?m, and the mean grain sizes of the hexagonal phase and of the face-centered cubic phase differ at most by 30%.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sintered part consisting of a hard metal, in particular WC with Co, Ni and/or Fe binders-based hard metal, or cermet, in particular on the base of composition consisting of (Ti, W) (C, N) or (Ti, Mo) (C, N) with Co, Ni and/or Fe binders and to a method for producing such a sintered part. The inventive method consists in exposing a sintered part totally or partially to an active plasma gaseous phase at a maximum pressure of 3×104 Pa during heating, sintering or after sintering, at least during a certain time preferably during a time period ranging from 10 to 100 min.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hard metal substrate body consisting of a WC hard material phase and between 3 and 25 mass % of a binding phase containing at least one binding metal Fe, Co and/or Ni, and up to 15 mass % (in relation to the binding phase) of dissolved dopants from the group containing Al, Cr, Mo, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta. The invention also relates to a method for producing one such hard metal substrate body, using powder metallurgy followed by sintering. According to the invention, the percentage of all of the dopants in the hard metal is limited to a maximum of 4 mass %, the proportion of cubic phase in the hard metal is less than 4 vol. %, and the binding metal content in an edge region of the hard metal substrate body falls from up to 1 ?m, preferably up to 0.5 ?m, to less than half the binding agent content inside the substrate body.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hard metal or cermet cutting material for cutting chromium-alloy steel parts. Said cutting material comprises a hard phase containing carbides, nitrides and/or carbonitrides and a binder phase based on iron, cobalt and nickel. The aim of the invention is to prevent an agglomeration of the cutting material during cutting operations. For this purpose, the binder phase contains 10% by weight to 75% by weight of Co, 10% by weight to 75% by weight of Ni, 5% by weight to 30% by weight of Cr, ?20% by weight to 60% by weight of Fe, the total of Co, Ni, Cr and Fe not exceeding 100% by weight.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for adjusting the distribution of microwave energy density in an applicator which forms a resonator chamber and in which the radiation generated by microwave generators is guided to the applicator wall by waveguides; and to a use for this device. According to the invention, several electroconductive coupling pins (31) are used, each of these extending preferably vertically into both the waveguide chamber and the applicator resonator chamber, in order to feed in the microwaves with as little loss as possible and to enable the field distribution in the resonator chamber to be modified. The invention is especially suitable for producing a plasma.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for adjusting the distribution of microwave energy density in an applicator which forms a resonator chamber and in which the radiation generated by microwave generators is guided to the applicator wall by waveguides; and to a use for this device. According to the invention, several electroconductive coupling pins (31) are used, each of these extending preferably vertically into both the waveguide chamber and the applicator resonator chamber, in order to feed in the microwaves with as little loss as possible and to enable the field distribution in the resonator chamber to be modified. The invention is especially suitable for producing a plasma.

Abstract: A hard metal or cermet sintered body and a method of making it wherein a solid phase containing WC and a binder phase are formed together with WC platelets by direct microwave irradiation, utilizing reactive sintering to form the WC at least in part and to produce the platelets.

Abstract: The invention concerns a composite body consisting of a hard metal, cermet or ceramic substrate body and at least one layer of a mechanically resistant material, a ceramic substance, a diamond-like layer, amorphous carbon and/or hexagonal boron nitride. The invention also concerns a method of producing this composite body, wherein, when the green compact has been dewaxed, with its pores still open and whilst it continues to be heated as from a temperature of between 600° C. and 1100° C., it is acted upon by sublimable solids and/or reaction gases which are necessary for coating purposes. The temperature of the green compact is then further increased and the latter is fully compressed by sintering, before one or more layers of the above-mentioned type is/are applied.

Abstract: A composite body of a microwave sintered composition of a cermet or hard metal as a modified surface layer which can promote the microwave sintering and can be of a thickness of 0.01 to 1 mm with a density gradually decreasingly inwardly or a thickness up to 1 mm and having locally distributed compacts therein or which can be a layer of a thickness of 1 to 10 mm of a substantially pure metal or which can have a binder metal removed to a depth of about half the grain thickness of a hard material such as WC.

Abstract: A cermet or hard metal body is formed from elemental metal, carbon and a nitrogen source such as a metal nitride or an organic nitrogen source by microwave sintering such that chemical reaction occurs with the formation of carbides and/or carbonitrides. The elemental metal, carbon and nitrogen source are mixed together and prepressed to form the green body which is subjected to the microwave radiation in reaction sintering.

Abstract: The invention concerns composites substantially consisting of: a cermet material having a binder metal phase of between 5 and 30 mass % and the remainder comprising at least one carbon nitride phase; or a hard metal with a hard material phase of between 70 and 100 %, the remainder being a binder metal phase, with the exception of a WC-Co hard metal, with up to 25 mass % cobalt as binder metal; or a powder-metallurgically produced steel. The invention further concerns a process for producing this composite. In order to improve bending strength and hardness, sintering is carried out in a microwave field.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the heat treatment of hard metals, cermets and ceramics in a microwave sintering furnace, the material to be treated being moved together with the resonator relative to one or a plurality of microwave sources. The material to be treated is disposed in individual cassettes which, with the exception of an opening necessary for the microwave radiation, consist of material which is impermeable to microwaves and dimensioned to simultaneously form microwave resonant cavities at a microwave frequency when charged with the material.

Abstract: A polygonal cutting insert is formed with a polygonal cutting face, an opposite support face generally congruent and generally parallel to the cutting face, and a plurality of generally planar side faces extending generally transversely between the cutting and support faces and meeting at corners. The side faces and corners define a cutting edge at a periphery of the cutting face and each side face is formed by at least two side-face regions extending parallel to each other and to the cutting and support faces and forming respective different side angles with the cutting face. Respective corner surfaces extending between the cutting and support faces at the corners each extend between a respective pair of side faces. Each such corner surface has a predetermined width that is greatest at the support face.