Improving wear resistance and machining performance of diamond tools in ferrous metals cutting: A review

Cutting ferrous metals, such as mold steel, with diamond tools is a critical issue that urgently needs to be solved in the field of precision machining. In cutting ferrous metals, diamond tools experience severe chemical wear, such as graphitization, diffusion reactions, and oxidation reactions, resulting in machining results far below the expected level. This review analyzes the cutting mechanism of diamond tools in ferrous metal machining and analyzes the wear mechanism of diamond tools at two levels: experimental investigation and molecular dynamics simulation. In addition, problems in existing research on their cutting mechanism are critically discussed. Concerning the serious chemical wear phenomenon of diamond tools, we focus on green manufacturing as the starting point and conduct an in-depth discussion on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) coating technology, cryogenic cooling technology, microquantity lubrication (MQL) technology, and ultrasonic vibration technology. We also introduce the latest progress in the application of the above technologies. Finally, focusing on the advantages and limitations of several inhibition technologies, synergistic effects between them were explored, demonstrating their effective inhibition of tool wear and significant improvements in machining efficiency. Finally, a concise summary of the described content and insights into the future development direction of this field are provided.