| abstract |
Polycrystalline cubic boron nitride or diamond compacts are permeated with whiskers and/or fibers for increased abrasive qualities, fracture toughness, and chipping resistance. The whiskers and/or fibers may comprise materials such as boron, carbon, and those metal oxides, metal borides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, and metal carbonitrides which do not melt at the sintering temperature and pressure of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride and diamond. A polycrystalline cubic boron nitride compact is made by mixing 70 weight percent cubic boron nitride grains with 15 weight percent titanium nitride coated silicon carbide whiskers and 15 weight percent titanium nitride grains, and sintering at a pressure of 75 kilobars and a temperature of 1400°C for 15 minutes. |