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

尽管材料在过去30年中取得了重大进展，但自本世纪初引入碳化钨钴(WC-Co)材料以来，黑色金属刀具材料的突破有限。WC-Co是碳化物相的硬度和(Co)钴的延展性之间的成分折衷。随着工业继续寻求提高效率，推动合金性能的极限，并开发新的制造实践，这种妥协成为一种负担。特别是，由于高温下硬度的损失，钴相限制了工具的使用。陶瓷复合材料在技术上应该为改进的刀具提供适当的性能，事实上，陶瓷复合材料已经在特定的应用中得到了应用。然而，现有的材料要么由于损伤容限差而不可靠，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经被确定，它具有显著改善的损伤和耐腐蚀性。我们认为，这种材料与硬质碳化物相的复合材料代表了一种基本上全陶瓷刀具的革命性新概念。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，以及商用WC-Co材料。第二阶段将支持复合材料精炼、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.