Sustainable Hardmetals & Wear-Resistant Materials

Alternative carbides for Wear-Resistant Coatings

The NbC-FeCr and NbC-NiCr powders are alternative cermets developed for thermal spray and featuring in-situ synthesized Niobium Carbide (NbC) finely dispersed in metallic matrix alloys. The mechanical alloying process ensures superior carbide-matrix bonding compared to conventional agglomerated cermet powders.

NbC-FeCr cermet coatings deliver exceptional hardness, outstanding wear resistance at elevated temperatures—optimized for HVOF (High Velocity Oxygen Fuel) and HVAF (High Velocity Air Fuel) thermal spray processes. This eco-friendly cermet delivers wear resistant performance between traditional WC-CoCr and Cr₃C₂-NiCr systems, with superior high-temperature sliding wear resistance.

The NbC-NiCr variants exhibit exceptional corrosion resistance in aggressive environments, outperforming standard cermet references in electrochemical corrosion testing, making them ideal for applications requiring combined wear and corrosion protection across broad temperature ranges.

Applications: Industrial rolls, valve components, marine equipment, petrochemical processing, aerospace tooling.

PROPERTIES

Maximum Hardness                                1100 HV
Typical Operating temperature             600°C
Density                                                       ~7.5 g/cm³
Particle size distribution (HVOF)        +10–45 µm

Other PSD are available on request

In-Situ TiC-Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites

Titanium carbide (TiC) metal matrix composites (MMCs) are synthesized through in-situ reactive mechanical alloying, where submicrometric TiC carbide phases form directly during high-energy ball milling. This solid-state synthesis process ensures uniform dispersion of ultra-fine TiC particles throughout the metal matrix, resulting in superior mechanical properties and microstructural homogeneity compared to conventional ex-situ reinforced composites.

The mechanical alloying process by MBN enables versatile matrix alloy selection, including titanium-based, aluminum-based, iron-based, and NiCr-based systems, each engineered for specific performance requirements and application environments.

TiC-reinforced composite powders deliver exceptional hardness, outstanding wear and abrasion resistance, enhanced thermal stability, and improved strength-to-weight ratio—ideal for demanding structural components, wear-resistant coatings via thermal spray, and high-performance parts in aerospace, automotive tooling, energy systems, and additive manufacturing.

These advanced materials are particularly attractive for biomedical implants and orthopedic prosthetic devices, where lightweight structural strength, biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and long-term durability under cyclic loading are critical performance factors.

COMPOSITION
Ti 35% – TiC: 65%

PROPERTIES OF CGS COATING
Coating hardness    640 HV
Porosity                     < 2.0%
Thickness                  350 µm

Cobalt-Free Cermet for Wear-Resistant Applications

Ti-WC cermet is an advanced composite developed by MBN ensuring an homogeneous microstructure with strong carbide-matrix interfacial bonding. By replacing cobalt binder with titanium matrix, this eco-friendly cermet material retains the hardness of conventional WC based systems delivering both wear performance and environmental sustainability.

Ti-WC composite powders are processable through cold spray coating deposition or powder metallurgy consolidation into dense bulk components.

Using Cold Spray technology, the material produces thick, compact wear-resistant coatings with excellent coating-substrate adhesion. Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) consolidation enables production of near-full density components with outstanding mechanical strength and fracture toughness.

Applications include lightweight automotive racing components (magnesium alloy protection), extrusion dies, rolling mill tooling, forming dies, and high-wear industrial equipment where abrasion resistance is critical performance factors.

COMPOSITION
Ti 23% – WC: 77%

PROPERTIES OF CGS COATING

As-sprayed hardness                              800-1000 HV
Post-heat treatment hardness             >1000 HV
Coating thickness capability                 0.5-2 mm

Titanium Silicon Carbide Composite

Ti-SiC composite powder  is a lightweight nanostructured metal matrix composite engineered through High Energy Ball Milling (HEBM). Its homogeneous titanium-silicon-carbon distribution delivers high hardness and wear resistance while maintaining remarkably low density, making it ideal for weight-critical applications.

When consolidated via Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), Ti-SiC bulk components achieve outstanding mechanical properties, with microstructures containing Ti₃SiC₂ MAX phase ceramics. These ternary carbide MAX phases deliver unique advantages over conventional ceramics: excellent fracture toughness, superior thermal shock resistance, and combined electrical and thermal conductivity—enabling applications in electromagnetic shielding, thermal management systems, and conductive structural components.

As thermal spray or cold spray coatings, Ti-SiC offers robust wear resistance. At elevated temperatures, the material forms self-lubricating oxide layers that significantly reduce friction and wear in high-temperature sliding contacts, making it particularly effective for tribological applications above 600 °C.

The combination of lightweight design capability and high-performance wear resistance makes Ti-SiC composites ideal for high-speed rotating components, aerospace structural parts, automotive lightweight systems, and energy sector equipment.

Composition

Ti₃SiC₂ MAX phase + TiC/SiC reinforcement

PROPERTIES OF CGS COATING

Hardness                                   >1000 HV
Self-lubrication temperature               >600 °C

PROPERTIES BY SPS
SPS consolidation temperature           1400 °C
Bulk density                               ~3.9 g/cm³
Hardness                                   1650 HV