Dry machining of nodular cast iron using a YAG-reinforced alumina ceramic cutting tool

• Published in: International journal of advanced manufacturing technology Vol. 123; no. 1-2; pp. 99 - 110
• Main Authors: de Sousa, Leopoldo Ferreira, Simba, Bruno Galvão, de Souza, José Vitor Candido, Ribeiro, Marcos Valério, de Macedo Silva, Olivério Moreira, dos Santos, Claudinei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Springer London 01.11.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; CAE) and Design; Carbide cutting tools; Carbide tools; Cast iron; Cemented carbides; Ceramic powders; Ceramic tools; Ceramics; Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD; Cutting parameters; Cutting speed; Cutting tools; Cutting wear; Diamond pyramid hardness; Dry machining; Engineering; Feed rate; Fracture toughness; Heating rate; Industrial and Production Engineering; Machinability; Mechanical Engineering; Media Management; Nodular cast iron; Original Article; Sintering (powder metallurgy); Specific gravity; Surface roughness; Tool wear; Vanadium carbide; Yttrium-aluminum garnet; Wear; Machinability; Al; YAG cutting tool; Dry machining; O; Nodular cast iron
• ISSN: 0268-3768; 1433-3015
• DOI: 10.1007/s00170-022-10149-8

In this work, an alumina-yttrium aluminum garnet (Al 2 O 3 -YAG) cutting tool was developed and characterized aiming application in dry machining of nodular (spheroidal) cast iron. Ceramic powders containing 85 wt.% Al 2 O 3 and 15 wt.% Y 3 Al 5 O 12 (YAG) were homogenized, compacted, and sintered at 1600 °C for 2 h at a heating rate of 5 °C/min. The sintered ceramic presented relative density of 98.3 ± 0.2%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed α-Al 2 O 3 and YAG as crystal phases, both with equiaxed grains with average sizes of 1–4 μm (Al 2 O 3 phase) and 0.7–1 μm (YAG phase). In addition, this ceramic composite presented Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of 15.2 ± 0.2 GPa and 4.6 ± 0.3 MPa.m 1/2 , respectively. The dry machining performance of the Al 2 O 3 -YAG cutting tool was compared with that of a commercial cemented carbide cutting tool using cutting speed ( V C ) of 200 and 500 m/min, feed rate ( f ) of 0.25 and 0.10 mm/rev, and axial depth of cut ( a p ) of 0.60 mm. The results showed that the best setting for the cemented carbide cutting tool was obtained at V C  = 200 m/min and f  = 0.25 mm/rev, which produced the best machinability with average surface roughness ( R a ) of 3.516 μm, cutting length ( L C ) of 6000 m, and maximum flank wear (VB max ) of 0.58 mm. For the Al 2 O 3 -YAG cutting tool, the best setting was achieved at V C  = 500 m/min and f  = 0.10 mm/rev, which produced R a  = 0.848 μm, L C  = 12,293 m, and VB max  = 0.54 mm.