Abstract
This study presents an investigation of the usability and suitability of natural rocks as cutting tool materials. Therefore, indexable inserts are manufactured from eight different rocks and two mono minerals in this study and are used for turning of an aluminium alloy. Besides that, a characterization of the rock properties is performed. The wear of the rock tools and the surface roughness of the workpiece generated by the tools are used to evaluate their operational behaviour. Subsequently, the rock properties and the corresponding operational behaviour are used to assess the suitability of the rocks as cutting tool material. The results show that rock inserts can be used as cutting material for the turning of an aluminium alloy showing a width of wear marks between 83 and 1665 µm at the flank face after a cutting length of 500 m depending on the rock used. Furthermore, it is shown that rock tools are able to achieve surface roughness values which are comparable to those obtainable by using a conventional cemented carbide insert. The study shows that natural rocks can generally be used as alternative cutting material for the turning of aluminium. In addition a possible way for a systematic investigation and assessment of the suitability of natural rocks as cutting tool materials is presented, the relevance of the rock properties for the operational behaviour of the rock inserts is described and relevant future research topics concerning the use of rocks as cutting tool material are identified.Article highlightsDemonstrating the possibility to use natural rocks as alternative environmentally friendly cutting tool material.Evaluation of operational behaviour and wear mechanisms of rock tools in turning aluminium.Identification of rock properties relevant for the operational behaviour of rock inserts.
Highlights
Modern manufacturing processes place high demands on cutting tool materials
The use of rocks means that complex und energy-intensive preparation and production processes for the cutting material can be dispensed with, as the cutting material rock is already available in nature in the required state
This paper investigates whether it is generally possible to manufacture indexable inserts from natural rocks which can be used in a cutting process
Summary
Modern manufacturing processes place high demands on cutting tool materials. a constant improvement and redevelopment of these materials is needed to meet their demands. The partially critical availability of raw materials such as tungsten or cobalt poses a further challenge Due to this and the high price of such materials, there is a high need to recycle and substitute them. In order to meet these challenges a cutting tool material with a high (global) availability, a low energy consumption in the production process and low raw material prices is required. Compared to the production of a kilogram of conventional cemented carbide, for example, this would save between 290 and 480 MJ-equivalents of energy This would mean a reduction in emissions of climate affecting gases in the order of 10 to 19 kg CO2-equivalents [1]. No systematic investigation of the usability and suitability of natural rocks as cutting tool materials has been carried out
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