Material characteristics and cutting performance of TiN-Al2O3 ceramic tool

Abstract

With the objective of producing a ceramic tool for hardened steel cutting that is 10% the price of cBN sintered tool but with equal cutting performance, a TiN-Al2O3 ceramic tool was developed in which Al2O3 particles are dispersed throughout a matrix that uses TiN as the principal component. When bearing steel (SUJ2, HRC60) is cut, a TiN-Al2O3 ceramic tool that is 40vol% Al2O3 particles produces 25% less flank wear than does a cBN sintered tool. Furthermore, by the time the flank wear land width VB reaches 0.2mm, the surface roughness of the cBN sintered tool worsens to 4.0 μmRmax; however, that of the TiN-Al2O3 ceramic tool is maintained at a value better than 2.5 μmRmax. Also, investigation of the residual stress in the machined work found no difference between the TiN-Al2O3 ceramic tool and cBN sintered tool, Even if a cBN sintered tool were to be substituted with a TiN-Al2O3 ceramic tool, no problem would generate in the residual stress of cutting surface.