High-strength tungsten carbide material for use in earth-boring bits

摘要

A sintered hard metal compact for use in earth-boring bits comprises 80 to 94% by weight tungsten carbide particles, 5.4 to 18% by weight cobalt particles and 0.6 to 2.0% by weight nickel particles wherein the ratio of cobalt to nickel is approximately 9:1 by weight. These materials are formed according to conventional powder-metallurgy techniques to provide a hard, sintered compact for use in earth-boring bits having superior properties for drilling applications.