Control of Structure and Properties of Nanostructured Multilayer Composite Coatings Applied to Cutting Tools as a Way to Improve Efficiency of Technological Cutting Operations

Abstract

The study considers the challenge of improving the efficiency of dry finishing and semi-finishing turning of (P10-P20) steel with carbide tools with complex composition coatings by directed selection of the composition and properties of the coatings through the control of the parameters of the filtered cathodic vacuum-arc deposition (FCVAD). The conducted tests have confirmed the feasibility and effectiveness of the control of compositions, structures, and properties of complex composite coatings of Ti-TiN-TiAlN type by varying the parameters of the FCVAD process. In particular, it has been found out that the ratio of Ti/Al, which greatly affects the important properties of the coating (grain size, lattice parameter, microhardness, fracture toughness, etc.), can be changed at constant compositions of cathodes by varying such parameters of coating synthesis as titanium cathode arc current, nitrogen pressure, and substrate shear stress. It has been shown that Ti-TiN-TiAlN coating produced at different values of the parameters of synthesis significantly changes the cutting properties of carbide tool and thus allows optimizing the coating composition for a variety of machining conditions.The developed methods are also applicable for multi-component complex composite coatings.