Friction and wear behavior of microwave sintered Al2O3/TiC/GPLs ceramic sliding against bearing steel and their cutting performance in dry turning of hardened steel

An Al₂O₃/TiC/GPLs (ATG) composite ceramic tool material was fabricated by microwave sintering. The tribological properties of ATG during sliding against GCr15 bearing steel were studied, to investigate the effects of sliding speed and normal load on the friction coefficient and wear rate. In addition, the cutting performance of ATG tools for machining of hardened alloy 40Cr steel was experimentally studied and compared with those of commercial tools. The results showed that the added graphene platelets enhanced the wear resistance and reduced the friction coefficient of the tool material. Furthermore, upon adding graphene platelets, the ability of the tools to resist breakage and their cutting depth improved. The cutting length of the microwave- sintered ATG ceramic tools was approximately 125% higher than that of hot-pressed ceramic tools and 174% higher than that of cemented carbide tools.     

Cutting performance,failure mechanisms and tribological properties of GNPs reinforced Al2O3/Ti(C,N) ceramic tool in high speed turning of Inconel 718

Cutting performance and failure mechanisms of graphene nano-platelets (GNPs) reinforced ceramic cutting tool ATG (short for Al₂O₃/Ti(C,N)/GNPs) in continuous dry turning of Inconel 718 up to a cutting speed of 500 m/min were investigated in comparison with those of commercial Sialon tool KY1540. The results show that ATG tool shows similar cutting performance with KY1540 tool at the speed range of 150–300 m/min, but greatly outperforms KY1540 when the cutting speed range of 400–500 m/min for higher hardness, wear resistance, chemical inertness and fracture toughness. Flank wear, notch wear, chipping and flaking are the reasons for tool failure of ATG. The wear modes are related to cutting speed, and adhesion wear is found to be the dominant failure mechanism of ATG. It is believed that GNPs play a significant role in improving mechanical properties and tribological properties which contributed to excellent resistance to abrasive wear and fracture. Turning Inconel 718 in dry and high speed via using ATG ceramic tool is an efficient and eco-friendly method.     

Cutting performance of microwave-sintered sub-crystal Al2O3/SiC ceramic tool in dry cutting of hardened steel

Tool life and failure mechanisms of a microwave-sintered sub-crystal Al₂O₃/SiC ceramic tool (AS) in dry turning hardened steel were studied. The AS tool with plane face shows better cutting performance and wear resistance than the commercial ceramic tool SW500 and cemented carbide tool YG8 at both low and high cutting speeds. It's suitable for dry cutting at high speed (210–270 m/min), the cutting distance is 5–8 times longer than that of other two tools. The results indicate that the ceramic tool fabricated by this pressureless sintering technology can satisfy the requirements of high-speed machining. Wear forms of AS tool at low cutting speed are slight crater wear and groove wear, which were mainly caused by abrasion. At high cutting speed, tool failure forms are cater wear, groove wear and slight chipping caused by severe abrasion and adhesion.     

Self-lubricating behaviors of Al2O3/TiB2 ceramic tools in dry high-speed machining of hardened steel

In this paper, Al₂O₃/TiB₂ ceramic cutting tools with different TiB₂ content were produced by hot pressing. The fundamental properties of these ceramic cutting tools were examined. Dry high-speed machining tests were carried out on hardened steel. The tool wear, the cutting temperature, the cutting forces, and the friction coefficient between the tool and the chip were measured. It was shown that both the wear rates and the friction coefficient at the tool–chip interface of Al₂O₃/TiB₂ ceramic cutting tools in dry high-speed machining of hardened steel were reduced compared with that of in low-speed machining. The mechanisms responsible were determined to be the formation of a self-lubricating oxide film on the tool–chip interface owing to the tribological–chemical reaction by the elevated cutting temperature. The composition of the self-lubricating film was found to be the oxidation product of TiB₂ grains, which serves as lubricating additive on the wear track of the tool rake face. The appearance of this self-lubricating oxide film contributed to the improvement in wear resistance and the decrease of the friction coefficient. This action was even more effective with higher TiB₂ content. Cutting speed was found to have a profound effect on the self-lubricating behavior. In dry low-speed machining of hardened steel, the Al₂O₃/TiB₂ tools showed mainly adhesive and abrasive wear. While in dry high-speed machining, oxidation wear of the ceramic tools was the dominant mechanism due to the very high cutting temperature. No oxide film was formed on the tool–chip interface while machining in nitrogen atmosphere, and the tool wear resistance was correspondingly decreased.     

Cutting performance and tool wear of SiAlON and TiC-whisker-reinforced Si3N4 ceramic tools in side milling Inconel 718

Cutting performance and tool wear of two ceramic tools, SiAlON and TiC-whisker-reinforced Si₃N₄, in the side milling processes of Inconel 718 are evaluated in comparison, including cutting force, temperature, surface morphology, tool wear and corresponding mechanism. Results show that these two ceramic tools has advantages and disadvantages respectively, due to the properties of ceramic matrixes and the evolutions of build-up edges. SiAlON ceramic tool has better resistance to wear, but causes poor surface quality. TiC-whisker-reinforced Si₃N₄ ceramic tool generates better surface quality, but bears severe wear. Brittle damage, as the main mode of wear, occurs to both ceramic tools in different formations. SiAlON ceramic tool is featured by crater-like damage on blades while TiC-whisker-reinforced Si₃N₄ ceramic tool is featured by whole-layer damage on flank faces.     

Microstructure,mechanical properties and toughening mechanisms of graphene reinforced Al2O3-WC-TiC composite ceramic tool material

The low fracture toughness of Al₂O₃-based ceramics limited their practical application in cutting tools. In this work, graphene was chosen to reinforce Al₂O₃-WC-TiC composite ceramic tool materials by hot pressing. Microstructure, mechanical properties and toughening mechanisms of the composite ceramic tool materials were investigated. The results indicated that the more refined and denser composite microstructures were obtained with the introduction of graphene. The optimal flexural strength, Vickers hardness, indentation fracture toughness were 646.31?±?20.78?MPa, 24.64?±?0.42?GPa, 9.42?±?0.40?MPa?m^1/2, respectively, at 0.5?vol% of graphene content, which were significantly improved compared to ceramic tool material without graphene. The main toughening mechanisms originated from weak interfaces induced by graphene, and rugged fractured surface, grain refinement, graphene pull-out, crack deflection, crack bridging, micro-crack and surface peeling were responsible for the increase of fracture toughness values.     

High-entropy carbide-based ceramic cutting tools

In this study, a novel high-entropy carbide-based ceramic cutting tool was developed. The cutting performance of three kinds of high-entropy carbide-based ceramic tools with different mechanical properties for the ISO C45E4 steel were evaluated. Although the pure (Ti_0.2Zr_0.2Nb_0.2Ta_0.2Mo_0.2)C_0.8 ceramic cutting tool exhibited the highest hardness of 25.06 ± 0.32 GPa, the cutting performance was poor due to the chipping and catastrophic failure caused by the low toughness (2.25 ± 0.27 MPa m^1/2). The (Ti_0.2Zr_0.2Nb_0.2Ta_0.2Mo_0.2)C_0.8–15 vol% cobalt cutting tool with highest fracture toughness (6.37 ± 0.24 MPa m^1/2) and lowest hardness (17.29 ± 0.79 GPa) showed the medium cutting performance due to the low wear resistance caused by the low hardness. The (Ti_0.2Zr_0.2Nb_0.2Ta_0.2Mo_0.2)C_0.8–7.7 vol% cobalt cutting tool showed the longest effective cutting life of ∼67 min due to the high wear resistance and chipping resistance caused by the high hardness (21.05 ± 0.72 GPa), high toughness (5.35 ± 0.51 MPa m^1/2), and fine grain size (0.60 ± 0.15 μm). The wear mechanisms of the cobalt-containing (Ti_0.2Zr_0.2Nb_0.2Ta_0.2Mo_0.2)C_0.8 ceramic cutting tools included adhesive wear and abrasive wear and oxidative wear. This research indicated that the high-entropy carbide-based ceramics with high hardness and high toughness have potential use in the field of cutting tool application.     

自润滑陶瓷刀具切削过程中的减摩机理研究

采用热压法CaF2作为添加剂,Al2O3/TiC(LT55)作为基体制备出了自润滑陶瓷刀具,并对其进行了干切削试验.在切削过程中,在刀具前刀面上能形成自润滑膜,从而使刀具具有减摩性能.用扫描电镜观察了前刀面和后刀面微观结构.LT55在切削加工45钢时,Al2O3/TiC/CaF2(ATF)自润滑陶瓷刀具前刀面的平均摩擦系数比未添加固体润滑剂的LT55陶瓷刀具显著降低,其主要原因是在ATF自润滑陶瓷刀具的前刀面上形成了一层固体润滑膜,这层润滑膜可起到减摩作用.自润滑刀具在切削过程中,自润滑膜经历生成、破损、脱落、再生成的循环过程,因此,ATF自润滑陶瓷刀具在其整个生命周期内都具有自润滑效果.自润滑刀具后刀面不存在固体润滑膜,具有较明显的磨料磨损特征.     

Improvement of cutting performance of SiAlON ceramic by texture engineering in turning superalloys

High speed and high efficiency machining of superalloy is a big technological challenge faced by the cutting tool industry in the world. In the present study, cutting performance of nickel-based superalloy was significantly improved by engineering the texture of SiAlON ceramic cutting tools with grains oriented parallel to the cutting edge. Orientation of the rod-like grains played a significant role in the wear resistance of SiAlON ceramic. With the rod-like grains parallel to the cutting edge of the tool, the resistance to notched wear and peeling was much higher, resulting in slow and stable flank and rake wear. The tool life of the textured tool with rod-like grains parallel to the cutting edge was 17% higher than that of the untextured tool. On the other hand, for the tools with the grains perpendicular to the rake or flank face, the friction generated during machining would be parallel to the grain direction, which led to the rapid peeling on the tool surface along the moving direction of the workpiece or the chip flow direction, resulting in rapid tool wear. The preferred orientation of mechanical properties designed by engineering grain orientation provides the possibility to optimize the cutting performance of SiAlON ceramic tool in turning superalloys.     

Improvement of structural/tribological properties and milling performances of tungsten carbide cutting tools by bilayer TiAlN/TiSiN and monolayer AlCrSiN ceramic films

In this study, bilayer TiAlN/TiSiN and monolayer AlCrSiN ceramic films were grown on carbide cutting tool material by cathodic arc physical vapor coating (CAPVD) method to improve the structural/tribological properties and milling performances. The ceramic films were applied on cylindrical test samples and carbide end mills. The coated materials' structural, mechanical, and tribological properties were determined via scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction meter (XRD), tribometer, microhardness tester, and optical profilometer. DIN 40CrMnNiMo8-6-4 steel workpieces were machined by using a CNC vertical machining center to determine the actual working performance of the coated and uncoated cutting tools. The wear performance of the cutting tools after machining was determined by measuring the flank wear widths and mass losses. The hardness and adhesion results of the coated sample with bilayer TiAlN/TiSiN were higher than the coated sample with monolayer AlCrSiN. According to the scratch test results, the best adhesion results were obtained for TiAlN/TiSiN coating. The critical load value was determined as about 105 N. As a result, the wear rate value of the TiAlN/TiSiN thin film coated sample was lower. After machining, the mass loss of TiAlN/TiSiN coated tools was lower than AlCrSiN coated tools. In addition, the surface roughness value of the workpiece machined by the cutting tool coated with AlCrSiN was higher than the cutting tool coated with TiAlN/TiSiN.     

Tribological performance of binderless tungsten carbide reinforced by multilayer graphene and SiC whisker

Binderless tungsten carbides (BTC) have attracted the attention of both academia and industry due to their excellent hardness, high-temperature strength as well as corrosion resistance. Herein, a set of binderless WC-based composites were developed employing two-step spark plasma sintering. The mechanical response together with tribological performance was investigated as a function of various reinforcements including SiC whisker (SiC_w) and multilayer graphene (MLG). The results suggested that the coupling and synergy of MLG and SiC_w played a critical role in microstructure refinement and homogenization, consequently advancing the mechanical and tribological properties of BTC. The MLG-SiC_w/BTC displayed the optimal comprehensive performances, and the associated toughening and anti-friction mechanisms were determined and analyzed. Such material design offers an effective approach to enhance the mechanical and tribological responses of ceramic materials.     

Investigation of novel multiscale textures for the enhancement of the cutting performance of Al2O3/TiC ceramic cutting tools

Currently, the high temperature and severe friction conditions at the tool-chip interface are the main reasons for ceramic tool wear failures. Surface texturing as a geometric extension for cutting tools is a promising way to extend their service life. In this study, a novel type of multiscale texture was developed, and its effect on the cutting performance of an Al₂O₃/TiC ceramic cutting tool while machining AISI H13 steel was explored in a conventional cooling environment. The cutting force, cutting temperature, and tool wear morphology were investigated at cutting velocities ranging from 80 to 249 m/min. Microgroove textured Al₂O₃/TiC ceramic tools were prepared for comparison. The results show that the structure of the multiscale textures maintained good integrity over the range of cutting velocities. Thus, the synergistic effect of the microscale and nanoscale textures promoted the introduction and permeation of the cutting fluid. Therefore, the multiscale textures effectively enhanced the cutting performance of the Al₂O₃/TiC ceramic tools.     

Preparation and performance of an advanced multiphase composite ceramic material

According to the optimum composition achieved from the material design, an advanced 15 vol.% SiC and 15 vol.% Ti(C,N) containing alumina-based multiphase ceramic material with good comprehensive mechanical properties has been fabricated with hot pressing technique. Only under suitable hot pressing conditions and material compositions can better microstructures and mechanical properties be achieved. The optimum hot pressing parameters for the SiC/Ti(C,N)/Al₂O₃ material are as follows: the hot pressing temperature is 1780 °C, the time duration equals to 60 min and the pressure remains 35 MPa. The content of each dispersed SiC and Ti(C,N) phase has significant effects not only on the mechanical properties but on the engineering performances of the ceramic materials. Good wear resistance is found for the kind of ceramic material when used as cutting tools in the machining of the hardened carbon steel. Failure mechanisms are mainly the abrasive wear and the adhesive wear. The developed SiC/Ti(C,N)/Al₂O₃ multiphase ceramic material will be well used as the structural parts with the requirement of high wear resistance such as cutting tools.     

Cutting performance and wear mechanism of TiB2-B4C ceramic cutting tools in high speed turning of Ti6Al4V alloy

TiB₂–20vol%B₄C (TB20) and TiB₂–80vol%B₄C (TB80) ceramic cutting tool materials were prepared by hot pressing, and then tested in turning of Ti6Al4V alloy with various cutting parameters. The tool life and wear mechanism of TB20 and TB80 were studied and compared with a commercial grade tungsten carbide tool (WO). The results of turning showed that effective cutting length of TB20 was about one third longer than that of TB80 and WO. Among the three tools, the increment of cutting temperature measured for TB20 was the lowest as flank wear increased from 0 to 600?µm. Analysis showed that dominant wear mechanism was adhesive wear in all of the three tools tested, while chipping was also observed in TB80 and temperature deterioration in WO. In addition, the TB20 exhibited a much better integrity of cutting edge after flank wear reaching 600?µm, due to its higher toughness than TB80 and higher thermal resistance than WO, respectively. The adhesive layers of work-piece material on the rake and flank faces of both TB20 and TB80 were much thinner than that of WO, which suggested a lower adhesive wear rate in TiB₂-B₄C cutting tools. The high wear resistance of TiB₂-B₄C cutting tools is attributed to higher thermal resistance, higher hardness, and lower chemical affinity with titanium as compared with tungsten carbides, which makes them very promising materials for high speed machining of titanium alloys.     

Fabrication and cutting performance of Ti(C,N)-based cermet tools used for machining of high-strength steels

Two kinds of Ti(C,N)-based cermet tools, namely TMWNC and TMWC, were fabricated for the machining of high-strength steels. This research investigated the cutting performances of both tools in terms of chip morphology, cutting force, cutting temperature, and tool wear and failure mechanisms. The results reveal that at the same cutting speed, the life of TMWC tool is longer than that of TMWNC tool with lower cutting force and higher cutting temperature than those of TMWNC tool. For TMWNC tool, at a lower cutting speed of 150 m/min, the tool failure is caused by abrasive wear. And when the cutting speed increases further, the surface flaking and nose breakage occur due to the comprehensive effects of adhesive wear, abrasive wear and thermal-mechanical fatigue. While for TMWC tool, the tool wear is severe with chipping, as a result of adhesive wear and abrasive wear. The research has proven the application feasibility of TMWNC and TMWC tools in the machining of high-strength steels. The TMWNC tool with higher fracture toughness presents better edge chipping resistance, and the TMWC tool with higher hardness and hot hardness exhibits better resistance against breakage.     

Finite element simulation and experimental analysis of B4C-TiB2-SiC ceramic cutting tools

Here, cutting properties and wear mechanism of the home-made B₄C-TiB₂-SiC ceramic cutting tools in turning of AISI 4340 steel workpieces were studied through a combination of finite element simulation using Deform-3D software and turning experiments. Simulation results show that cutting parameters have significant effects on the main cutting force and tool temperature of the B₄C-TiB₂-SiC cutting tool. The optimal cutting parameters for the ceramic cutting tool are cutting speed of 300 m/min, depth of cut of .3 mm, and feed rate of .1 mm/r. Experimental results show the cutting length of the B₄C-TiB₂-SiC cutting tool is about 101 m, which is 21.0% and 32.9% larger than that of the home-made B₄C-TiB₂ ceramic cutting tool and commercially available tungsten carbide tool, indicating that the B₄C-TiB₂-SiC cutting tool has a desired service life. The surface roughness of the workpieces processed by the B₄C-TiB₂-SiC cutting tool is 2.43 µm, which is 29.4% lower than that of the workpieces processed by the B₄C-TiB₂ cutting tool, indicating that the B₄C-TiB₂-SiC cutting tool has a satisfying machining accuracy. Wear forms of the B₄C-TiB₂-SiC ceramic cutting tool involve craters, chipping, and flank wear, and the main wear mechanisms are abrasive, adhesive, oxidative, and diffusion wear.     

Cutting performance and wear mechanism of Sialon ceramic tools in high speed face milling GH4099

This work aims to reveal the cutting performance and wear mechanisms of Sialon ceramic tools for the high-speed face-milling of GH4099, with the goal of improving this process as well as designing more advanced ceramic cutting tools in the future. At the outset of this study, several single-factor experiments were designed with speed as a variable to gather various data on such tools. Failure patterns and tool life curves were first obtained through cutting tests. Afterwards, the tools were split at their place of wear (middle of notch and 1/2 depth of cut) to prepare for further analysis. Wear morphology and element composition distribution in the depth direction of the corresponding interface were then analyzed using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) to explore potential diffusion and/or chemical wear. Finally, studies were conducted into the tools’ chemical wear under specific cutting conditions, finishing with a theoretical verification based on the thermodynamic principle of chemical reactions. This research discovered that notch wear was the main failure pattern for the high-speed face-milling of GH4099 under the suitable cutting conditions. Overall, the optimal cutting speed was 1000 m/min, with a tool life of about 3 min. Compared with cemented carbide tools, the machining efficiency for Sialon ceramic tools increased by over a factor of 16. The wear mechanisms for such tools demonstrated a mixture effect of abrasive, adhesive, diffusive and chemical wear. Diffusive wear mainly occurred in their flank faces, but did not constitute the main mechanism of notch wear; chemical wear proved to be a key reason for notch wear at higher temperatures. Based on the aforementioned research, this paper concludes with a proposed comprehensive model for notch wear.     

Analysis of cutting responses of Sialon ceramic tools in high-speed milling of FGH96 superalloys

Powder metallurgy superalloy FGH96 is being extensively used to fabricate the hot section of the aeronautic and astronautic turbine engines owing to its superior mechanical properties maintained at high-temperature environments. However, machining such a difficult-to-cut material entails high cutting forces, excessive cutting temperatures and serious tool wear. Although Sialon ceramic tools have been successfully employed in the turning and milling processes for the Inconel 718, their application for the machining of powder metallurgy superalloys is very limited. In the current work, a series of high-speed milling trials were conducted to examine the influences of the milling parameters on the cutting response and tool wear mechanisms during the milling of FGH96 with Sialon ceramic mills under dry conditions. The milling forces and machining temperatures were studied with respect to the used process parameters. The quality of cut surfaces and wear signatures of ceramic tools were also discussed. Results indicate that the resultant cutting forces only decrease until the cutting speed exceeds 315 m/min. Furthermore, the Sialon tools seem more suitable for the rough machining of FGH96 considering the surface finish and large residual tensile stress existing on the milled surface. Finally, the adhesion wear is the primary wear mode occurring at the flank surface, while the edge chipping and flaking dominate the failure of the tool rake surface.     

Alumina ceramic tool material with enhanced properties through the addition of bionic prepared nano SiC@graphene

Graphene-coated SiC nanoparticles containing graphene floating bands (SiC@G) were prepared by a liquid-phase laser irradiation technique, and SiC@G nanoparticles with high dispersivity were incorporated into an Al₂O₃ matrix. An Al₂O₃-based composite ceramic tool was prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS), and the effects of SiC@G nanoparticles on the mechanical and cutting properties and microstructure of the materials were further investigated. Analysis of the cross-sectional morphology shows that SiC@G nanoparticles containing graphene floating bands were homogeneously dispersed in the composite, which resulted in tighter bonds between the Al₂O₃ particles. This particular core-shell structure increased the contact area between the graphene and the matrix due to the formation of a graphene 3D mesh by extrusion, which enhanced the difficulty of relative sliding of graphene. Second, this special core-shell structure also made the crack propagation path more tortuous, further increasing the energy consumed in the fracture process, which is conducive to improving the mechanical properties of ceramic tools. The addition of SiC@G nanoparticles improves the mechanical properties of Al₂O₃-based composite ceramic tools. The fracture toughness (7.2 Mpa·m^1/2) and flexural strength (709 MPa) increased by 75.6% and 28.7%, respectively. Cutting experiments with Al₂O₃/SiC/G composite ceramic tool and Al₂O₃/SiC@G composite ceramic tools on 40Cr hardened steel were performed. The results prove that the addition of SiC@G nanoparticles improves the cutting life by 18.1% and reduces the cutting force and friction coefficient by 6.3% and 14.8%, respectively.     

技术创新助推新型陶瓷刀具在机加工中的应用优势凸显

随着新技术革命的发展,要求不断提高切削加工生产率和降低生产成本,特别是数控机床的发展,要求开发比硬质合金刀具切速更高、更耐磨的新型刀具。针对新型陶瓷切削刀具的应用前景广阔,分析了切削刀具材料的种类及其特点,研究了新型陶瓷切削刀具的性能突显,介绍了新型陶瓷切削刀具运用实例,提出了陶瓷切削刀具材料的研发应用方向。