WEAR OF ALUMINUM OXIDE TOOLS IN STEEL CUTTING

Ceramic cutting materials like aluminum oxide and silicon nitride are used for machining of metallic materials. Especially during steel cutting with A1₂ O₃ -tools cracks and notch wear occur at the tools. For this reason extended investigations were carried out to understand the mechanisms of cracking and notch wear formation. In doing so cutting tests, stability calculations and chemical experiments were executed. During cutting tests the influence of cutting parameters and cutting geometry on notch wear was investigated. Stability calculations with the Finite Element Method elucidated critical load conditions and weak points of the tool material. Chemical experiments and x-ray-analysis show that chemical reactions are going on during the cutting process and can influence decisively wear progress.