The machinability of sintered carbons based on the correlation between tool wear rate and physical and mechanical properties

Abstract

Sintered carbons are often used for functional materials owing to their superior physical properties. When some kinds of carbon are machined, however, tool wear is remarkable. This paper deals with the machinability based on tool wear rate. The most simple sintered carbons which consist of filler and binder are prepared, and then tool life tests are conducted by using cemented carbide with grade K10. Tool wear pattern and wear rate are strongly affected by the thermal treatment temperature in production conditions. As the temperature rises, an amorphous structure not only transforms into a graphite structure, but also the chip formation mechanism changes. Consequently, the former leads to remarkable flank wear, the latter to low flank wear and reasonable crater wear. In addition, judging from multiple regression analysis, the flank wear rate correlates to the thermal conductivity rather than the mechanical properties of sintered carbons.