Abstract:
A dense cermet article including about 80-95% by volume of a granular hard phase and about 5-20% by volume of a metal phase. The granular hard phase consists essentially of a ceramic material selected from the hard refractory carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides, oxycarbides, oxynitrides, carboxynitrides, and borides of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, boron, and mixtures thereof. The metal phase consists essentially of a combination of nickel and aluminum having a weight ratio of nickel to aluminum of from about 90:10 to about 70:30 and 0-5% by weight of an additive selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt, boron, or carbon, or combinations thereof. In the preferred metal phase, an amount of about 15-80% by volume of the metal phase component exhibits a Ni. sub. 3 Al ordered crystal structure.