Abstract: A tungsten carbide-containing material in which the tungsten carbide has the general formula, W.sub.x C, wherein x is greater than one and less than two and the material has less than 0.20 weight percent cobalt, a density of at least about 97% of its theoretical density, and a Vickers hardness of at least about 2400 kg/mm.sup.2.

Abstract: Hard disk drive components, such as, sliders, load beams, support arms, actuators, actuator bearings, spacers, clamps, spindles, ball bearings, thrust bearings, journal bearings, base plates, housings, and covers, formed of a multi-phase ceramic-based material. One method of making the hard disk drive components includes (a) forming a porous body of ceramic; (b) infiltrating a liquid into the pores of the ceramic body; (c) solidifying the infiltrated liquid; and (d) machining the metal-infiltrated ceramic body to form the hard disk drive component.

Abstract: A method of forming a low level carbon high-density tungsten carbide-containing material includes sintering a preform which contains tungsten carbide powder and has a composition such that the resulting sintered material has at most 6.05 weight percent tungsten-bound carbon based on the total weight of tungsten and tungsten-bound carbon. This low level of carbon may be achieved by, prior to the sintering step, oxidizing the tungsten carbide powder sufficiently to achieve the desired substoichiometric carbon level in the sintered product or by adding a carbon-lowering material selected from the group consisting of tungsten, ditungsten carbide, and tungsten oxide. Optionally, other materials can be present in the preform such as carbon-getter metals and compounds thereof. The carbon-getter metals are those metals of which the carbides thereof are more thermodynamically stable than monotungsten carbide.