Cutting characteristic of SiC-$Si_3N_4$ ceramic cutting tools

SiC-$Si_3N_4$계 세라믹 절삭공구의 절삭특성 평가

It is known that Si3N4 ceramic insert has less hardness than Al2O3 ceramic insert. But Si3N4 ceramic insert has not only high toughness and strength but also low thermal expansion coefficient, which makes it has longer tool life under thermal stress condition. In this study, commercial Si3N4 ceramic insert and home-made SiC-Si3N4 ceramic insert which has different sintering time and chemical composition is tested under various cutting conditions. The experimental result is compared in terms of tool life and cutting force. Generally, As the cutting speed and the feed rate increased, the cutting force and the flank wear increased too. The performance of SiC-Si3N4 ceramic insert shows the possibility to be a new ceramic tool.