Comparison of the wear resistance of selected steels and cemented carbide cutting tool materials in machining wood

An experimental investigation is described where specimens of selected steels and cemented carbides are tested to simulate cutting green wood and cured wood. Extensive results are presented that show quantitatively the progressive wear of several Stellites, steels and cemented carbides as a function of time for sliding under wet and dry conditions.A simple theoretical analysis of tool wear that applies to cutting green wood with cemented carbide tools is described. The analysis, which indicates the important parameters in the wear process, is used to predict the effect of carbide particle size on wear rate. Comparisons are made between the predicted and experimentally determined wear rates for two groups of cemented carbide materials. Good agreement is found between experimental measurements and theoretical predictions. It is shown that wear depends on carbide particle size. Superior wear resistance of cemented carbides is attributed to the high hardness and low chemical reactivity of the carbide phase. The improved wear resistance of the Stellites is attributed to the low reactivity of the matrix.