Papers by Author: Han Lian Liu

Abstract: The nickel-based superalloy GH4033 is one of the difficult-to-cut materials. In order to investigate the machinability of GH4033, the tool cutting performance, tool failure modes, tool life and the relationships between surface roughness and tool flank wear were studied by using different coated cemented carbide cutting tools under dry cutting. Aiming at the amount of metal removal combining with the tool life and surface quality, the better cutting tool coating type and optimal cutting parameters were obtained through the orthogonal experiments. The results showed that the cutting performance of TiCN coated tool (GC4235) was better than that of TiAlN coated tool (JC450V). With these two kinds of tools, the machined surface roughness decreased to a minimum value and then increased with the increase of flank wear. When cutting GH4033, the main wear mechanism for both of the two types of tools included adhesive wear, diffusive wear, abrasive wear, edge wear and coating peeling.

Abstract: TiN-TiB₂ composite ceramic cutting tool material was prepared with hot pressed sintering in vacuum. The effects of sintering temperature and Ni additive on mechanical properties and microstructure were investigated. It is shown in the results that the fracture toughness decreases consistently with an increase of the sintering temperature, while the flexural strength of the TiN-TiB₂ composite increases firstly and then decreases with an increase of the sintering temperature. The flexural strength of the TiN-TiB₂ composite increases firstly and then decreases with an increase of the Ni additive, while the fracture toughness increases consistently with an increase of the Ni additive. The optimum comprehensive mechanical properties were obtained with the additive of 5wt.% Ni while sintered at 1650°C; the corresponding values were as follows: flexural strength of 966.1±190MPa, fracture toughness of 6.36± 0.9MPa·m^1/2 and hardness of 18.8±2.4GPa respectively.

Abstract: This paper analyzes the reasons of the defects generation of the ceramic cutting tool materials. The defects in the ceramic cutting tool materials are caused by chemical compatibility and physical mismatch during the designing process, and caused by grain abnormal growth and sintering parameters during the preparation stage. The database of low defect ceramic cutting tool is established and the data structure of the database is described. The users can use the database to design the tool material system through the mode that can reduce the defects.

Abstract: Ti(C,N)-based cermets were fabricated by the vacuum hot-processing technique. The effect of sintering process, initial powder size and binder content on mechanical properties of Ti(C,N)-based cermets were investigated. The composite was analyzed by the observation of scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The results showed that a lower sintering temperature led to insufficient liquid-phase sintering process, which reduced the density of the composite. However, higher temperature and longer holding time resulted in abnormal grain growth, which was not good for improving the mechanical properties of the composite. With the refinement of the initial powder size of the Ti(C,N), the fracture toughness reduced slightly, the flexural strength and Vickers hardness increased. The better mechanical properties were obtained when the binder content of the cermets was designed based on the eutectic composition of Mo-Ni binary alloy phase diagram.

Abstract: Al2O3-MgO, Al2O3-Y2O3 and Al2O3-MgO-Y2O3 composite ceramics were fabricated respectively by hot-press sintering technique. With the analysis of the mechanical properties and microstructure, it was found that single additive MgO could be more favorable to the grains’ refinement and densification than Y2O3; the composite additive including both MgO and Y2O3 was better than single additive MgO or Y2O3, because their interactions could improve the mechanical properties of the Al2O3 ceramics; The sintering temperature could be reduced by adding the suitable amount of composite additives.

Abstract: In this study, titanium carbonitride (Ti(C,N)) based cermets were prepared by submicron particles, sintered in a vacuum and hot-pressing furnace. And the effect of different ball-milling time (36 h, 48 h, 60 h and 72 h, respectively, mostly aimed for mixing) on the mechanical properties of Ti(C,N)-based cermets, including transverse rupture strength (TRS), Vickers hardness (HV20), fracture toughness (K_IC) and microstructure were investigated. The results showed that the TRS, hardness and fracture toughness were all improved with an increase in ball-milling time (not more than 60 h). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations on the microstructure of cermets with different ball-milling time revealed that the compound powders were not very well-distributed as a whole and there were coarse hard phase grains, but the microstructure was very homogeneous in parts, and the microstructure of cermets with a ball-milling time of 60 h is relatively more homogeneous. So a refinement to Ti(C,N) raw particles is needed in later studies.

Abstract: Ti(C,N)-TiB₂-WC composite ceramic cutting tool materials with nano-scale additives Ni and Mo, and micro-scale additives Ni and Mo as sintering aids were sintered respectively at a temperature of 1550 °C for holding time of 1hour in vacuum by a hot-press technique. The effects of nano-scale additives Ni and Mo, and micro-scale additives Ni and Mo on microstructure and mechanical properties of composites were compared and investigated. It is concluded that the wettability of nano-scale Ni and Mo to the composites is better than that of micro-scale Ni and Mo. The nano-scale whiskers were found in the composite ceramic tool materials with nano-scale additives. The addition of nano-scale Ni and Mo instead of micro-scale Ni and Mo could make the flexural strength and fracture toughness of Ti(C, N)-TiB₂ –WC composites have a promotion, but could not make the hardness of the composites increase in this study.

Abstract: GH4169 is widely used in aerospace industry, and it is a typical difficult-to-cut material. Tool life in cutting GH4169 is very low. In this paper, tool life tests of face milling GH4169 were carried out at 30~90m/min with coated tools. The effects of cutting speed and feed rate on the tool life were studied. It was found that the tool life was very sensitive to the cutting speed. And tool failure mode was flank wear at low cutting speed, but turned to tipping at high cutting speed. At last, the suitable cutting parameters were recommended.

Abstract: Three kinds of in-situ growth TaC whiskers toughening Al₂O₃ matrix ceramic cutting tool materials were prepared by two steps, which were in-situ synthesis of TaC whiskers in Al₂O₃ matrix powder by carbothermal reduction process and hot pressing of the composites respectively. The preparation process, microstructure, mechanical properties and toughening mechanisms of the composites were investigated. The in-situ synthesized TaC whiskers had a diameter of 0.1-0.5μm and an aspect ratio of 10-30. The composite containing 20vol.% TaC had the optimal comprehensive mechanical properties with flexural strength of 638MPa, fracture toughness of 6.5MPa·m^1/2 and hardness of 17.4GPa. The improvement of the mechanical properties was attributed to the TaC particles and whiskers which induced the toughening and strengthening effects such as crack deflection, crack branching, grain and whisker fracture, interface debonding and whisker pullout. The fracture mode of the composites was the combination of intergranular and transgranular fracture which also improved the mechanical properties of the composites.

Abstract: The TiB₂ whiskers were fabricated in TiB₂/TiC_x composites by the in-situ synthesis process. The phase composition, thermodynamics, weight loss and lattice parameters of the obtained phases were studied. The obtained TiB₂ whiskers showed an aspect ratio of 10-20 and a diameter of 0.5-1.5 μm. The synthesized TiC was a non-stoichiometric phase with a lattice parameter of 4.274 Å. Most of the whiskers had the cylinder shape, whereas, a few whiskers showed a bead-necklace morphology. The growth mechanisms of TiB₂ whiskers were governed by the solid-liquid-solid (S-L-S) mechanism and the particle-to-particle connection mechanism.