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

尽管材料在过去30年里取得了重大进展，但自本世纪初引入钨碳化钴（WC-Co）材料以来，黑色金属刀具材料的突破一直有限。WC-Co是介于碳化物相的硬度和（Co）钴的延展性之间的一种成分。随着行业不断寻求提高效率，推动合金性能的界限，并开发新的制造实践，这种妥协成为一种负担。特别是，Co相由于在高温下硬度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工具提供适当的性能，事实上，已经在特定的应用中使用。然而，现有的材料要么是不可靠的，因为较差的损伤容忍度，要么是有限的，因为与铁合金的反应性。发现了一种新型陶瓷材料，具有显著改善的损伤和耐蚀性。我们提出，这种材料与硬质合金相的复合材料代表了一种革命性的新概念，基本上是全陶瓷切削刀具。第一阶段项目将支持复合材料的制备、表征和与商用WC-Co材料的比较加工评估。第二阶段将支持组合精化、属性评估和应用程序开发。

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.