TITANIUM-BASE CERMET, COATED CERMET, AND CUTTING TOOL

摘要

A titanium-base cermet suitable for use as cutting tools having high chipping resistance and high wearing resistance. The titanium-base cermet (1) comprises: at least one of cobalt and nickel; at least one of carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides of at least one element which is selected among the metals in Groups 4, 5, and 6 of the periodic table and comprises titanium as the main component; and 0.1-0.5 mass% manganese. When a photograph of any section of the cermet taken with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) is examined, then a rigid phase (2) comprising a first rigid phase (2a) and a second rigid phase (2b) and a bonding phase (3) consisting mainly of at least either of cobalt and nickel are observed in an inner part and the second rigid phase (2b) looks whiter than the first rigid phase (2a). Furthermore, a surface part of the section has a surface region 90% by area of which is accounted for by a second rigid phase (2b).