Abstract
Some required physical and chemical characteristics for the hard constituents of tool and wear-resistant materials can be defined, but in sintered form none has the versatility of WC–Co hardmetals in providing a wide range of strength and toughness. However, for high temperatures or under severe abrasion conditions, ceramics and high-pressure products are harder and suffer than WC-based microstructures but are handicapped by low impact toughness, and most ceramics have poor thermal shock resistance. Better hard materials can be developed but they will not be used effectively until their interaction with the workpiece is understood, and properties are defined that can be used as a basis for development and design. PM/0258
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