A study on the development of a composite ceramic tool ZrO2/(W, Ti)C and its cutting performance

An experimental investigation is carried out to fabricate a new ceramic tool ZrO2/(W, Ti)C by the hot pressing method and to study the effects of (W, Ti)C on the microphotograph of crystal particles, the phase transition and the mechanical properties of the new ceramic tool. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation reveals that the densification degree of the material ZrO2/(W, Ti)C may be improved and that the microstructure of the new ceramic tool material is more homogeneous as a result of the proper addition of the powder (W, Ti)C. Tests of the mechanical properties and wear resistance in machining are conducted. It is found that the fracture toughness of the developed ceramic tool is the highest when the content of powder (W, Ti)C is 45% in terms of volume due to the highest content of tetragonal zirconia. It is also shown that when machining a carbon tool steel the new tool material can increase the tool-life as compared to other ceramic tool materials that have the same matrix but were fabricated without (W, Ti)C, while the fracture toughness is improved by up to 38.8%. When compared with a conventional ceramic tool, the new ceramic tool material exhibit superior ability in maintaining wear resistance during the entire tool-life.