Toughened ultra-fine (Ti,W)(CN)-Ni cermets

Nanocrystalline (Ti,W)C Ni and (Ti,W)(CN) Ni powders were synthesized from oxides and sintered at 1510degreesC for 1h. The resulting microstructures demonstrated an ultra-fine, coreless phase 0.5-1.0mum in diameter. In addition, the full density cermets had a significantly improved toughness (11-14MPam (1/2)). The thermal stability of these phases was examined with reference to coarsening. (C) 2004 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.