CERMET COMPOSITIONS AND METHOD FOR THEIR PRODUCTION

摘要

Methods for making, methods for using and articles comprising ferromagnetic cermets, preferably cemented carbides and more preferably tungsten carbide, having at least two regions exhibiting at least one property that differs are discussed. The multiple-region cermets are particularly useful in wear applications. The cermets are manufactured by juxtaposing and densifying at least two powder blends having different properties (e.g., differential carbide grain size or differential carbide chemistry or differential binder content or differential binder chemistry or differential magnetic saturation or any combination of the preceding). Preferably, a first region of the cermet comprises a first hard component having a prescribed binder content and a first magnetic saturation and a second region, juxtaposing or adjoining the first region, comprising a second binder content different than the binder content of the first region and a second magnetic saturation different than that of the first region. These articles have an extended useful life relative to the useful life of monolithic cermets in such applications as, for example, wear. The multiple region cermets of the present invention may be used with articles comprising tools for materials manipulation or removal including, for example, mining, construction, agricultural, and machining applications.