In-situ fabricated TiB 2 particle-whisker synergistically toughened Ti(C, N)-based ceramic cutting tool material

The mechanical properties of ceramic cutting tool materials can be modified by introducing proper content of nanoparticles or whiskers. However, the process of adding whiskers or nanoparticles has the disadvantages of high cost and health hazard as well as the agglomeration; although a new in-situ two-step sintering process can solve the above problems to some extent, yet the problems of low conversion ratio of the raw materials and the abnormal grain growth exist in this process. In this paper, an in-situ one-step synthesis technology is proposed, which means the growth of whiskers or nanoparticles and the sintering of the compact can be accomplished by one time in furnace. A kind of Ti(C, N)-based ceramic cutting tool material synergistically toughened by TiB 2 particles and whiskers is fabricated with this new process. The phase compositions, relationships between microstructure and mechanical properties as well as the toughening mechanisms are analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composite which is sintered under a pressure of 32 MPa at a temperature of 1700°C in vacuum holding for 60 min can get the optimal mechanical properties. Its flexural strength, fracture toughness and Vickers hardness are 540 MPa, 7.81 MPa · m 1/2 and 20.42 GPa, respectively. The composite has relatively high density, and the in-situ synthesized TiB 2 whiskers have good surface integrity, which is beneficial for the improvement of the fracture toughness. It is concluded that the main toughening mechanisms of the present composite are whiskers pulling-out and crack deflection induced by whiskers, crack bridging by whiskers/particles and multi-scale particles synergistically toughening. This study proposes an in-situ one-step synthesis technology which can be well used for fabricating particles and whiskers synergistically toughened ceramic tool materials.