ADHESION STRENGTH OF DIAMOND COATED WC-Co TOOLS USING MICROWAVE PLASMA CVD

To apply the CVD diamond film to coated tools, it is necessary to make adhesion strength between diamond film and substrate stronger. So adhesion strength of diamond coated WC-Co tools using Microwave Plasma CVD and cutting test of Al-18mass%Si alloy using diamond cutting tools were studied. Diamond coating was carried out using Microwave Plasma CVD apparatus. Reaction gas was used mixture of methane and hydrogen. Substrate temperature were varied from 673K to 1173K by control of microwave output power and reaction pressure. By observation of SEM, grain size became larger and larger as substrate temperature became higher and higher. Also all deposits were covered with clear diamond crystals. XRD results, the deposits were identified to cubic diamond. An analysis using Raman spectroscopy, the deposit synthesized at lower substrate temperature (673K) showed higher quality than deposit synthesized at higher substrate temperature (1173K). As a result of scratch adhesion strength test, from 873K to 1173K adhesion strength decreased by rising of substrate temperature. The deposit synthesized at 873K showed best adhesion strength. In the cutting test of Al-18mass%Si alloy using diamond coated tools and the surface machinability of Al-Si works turned with diamond coating tools which synthesized at 873K presented uniform roughness. Cutting performance of Al-18mass%Si alloys using diamond coated WC-Co tools related to the adhesion strength.