3. Retention of Diamond Particles i

3. Retention of Diamond Particles in the Metallic Matrix A significant property of the matrix material is diamond retention efficiency. Diamond particles are retained in the matrix (Fig. 5) as a result of mechanical and/or chemical boding [3]. Mechanical bonding is achieved through cooling that follows the process of hot pressing. Unlike metals, diamonds have a very low coefficient of thermal expansion [7,8]. Diamond particles are squeezed by the shrinking matrix. The mechanical bonding depends on the elastic and plastic properties of the matrix material. The retention efficiency of diamond particles in relation to the mechanical properties of the matrix was analyzed in Refs. [3,9]. The most important parameters of the assessment of retention efficiency are strain energies of a diamond particle and the deformed matrix around the diamond particle [3].