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 1510 °C for 1 h. The resulting microstructures demonstrated an ultra-fine, coreless phase 0.5-1.0 μm in diameter. In addition, the full density cermets had a significantly improved toughness (11-14 MPa m1/2). The thermal stability of these phases was examined with reference to coarsening.