Tool wear and tool life characteristics of unconventional sintered carbides in the intermittent cutting of hardened steel

Carbides coated with TiC, TiN, TiC/TiN or TiC/Al₂O₃ coatings on a tough hard material base and TiC-containing hard material of modified composition and structure were used to investigate tool-wear and tool-life characteristics in face milling of martensitic steel of hardness 300–600 HV. Tool-life behaviour with increasing hardness and cutting speed was determined. Characteristic wear mechanisms are discussed on the basis of light and scanning electron microscopy observations.