SBIR Phase I: Investigation of a Novel Ceramic-Based Composite for Ferrous Metal Cutting Applications

尽管在过去的30年中材料取得了显著的进步，但自从本世纪初引入钨-钴（WC-Co）材料以来，黑色金属切削刀具材料的突破一直有限。 WC-Co是碳化物相的硬度和（Co）钴的延展性之间的组成折衷。 随着工业继续寻求提高效率，推动合金性能的界限，并开发新的制造实践，这种妥协成为负担。 特别地，Co相由于在高温下硬度的损失而限制了工具的有用性。 陶瓷复合材料应该在技术上为改进的切削刀具提供适当的性能，事实上，已经在特定的应用中使用。 然而，可用的材料要么由于差的损伤容限而不可靠，要么由于与铁合金的反应性而受到限制。 一种新的陶瓷材料已被确定，表现出显着改善的损害和耐腐蚀性。 我们建议，这种材料与硬质碳化物相的复合材料代表了一个革命性的新概念，基本上是全陶瓷刀具。 第一阶段计划将支持复合材料的制备，表征和比较加工评估以及商业WC-Co材料。 第二阶段将支持复合材料的改进、性能评估和应用开发。

Despite significant advances in materials in the past 30 years, breakthroughs in cutting tool materials for ferrous metals have been limited since the introduction of tuingsten-carbide cobalt (WC-Co) materials early in this century. WC-Co is a compositional compromise between the hardness of the carbide phase, and the ductility of the (Co) Cobalt. This compromise becomes a burden as industry continues to seek improved efficiencies, push the bounds on alloy properties, and develop new manufacturing practices. In particular, the Co phase limits the usefulness of the tool due to loss of hardness at high temperatures. Ceramic composites should technically provide the appropriate properties for improved cutting tools, and in fact, are used already in specific applications. However, the available materials are either unreliable due to poor damage tolerance, or limited due to reactivity of with ferrous alloys. A new ceramic material has been identified that exhibits significantly improved damage and corrosion tolerance. We propose that a composite of this material with a hard carbide phase represents a revolutionary new concept for an essentially all-ceramic cutting tool. The Phase I program will support composite preparation, characterization, and comparative machining evaluation alongside commercial WC-Co materials. Phase II will support composite refinement, properties evaluation, and application development.