Mechanical property and cutting performance of yttrium-reinforced Al2O3/Ti(C,N) composite ceramic tool material

Effects of yttrium on the mechanical property and the cutting performance o f Al2O3/Ti(C,N) composite ceramic tool material have been studied in detail . Results show that the addition of yttrium of a certain amount can noticea bly improve the mechanical property of Al2O3/Ti(C,N) ceramic material. As a result, the flexural strength and the fracture toughness amount to 1010 MP a and 6.1 MPam(1/2), respectively. Cutting experiments indicate that the de veloped ceramic tool material not only has better wear resistance but also has higher fracture resistance when machining hardened #45 steel. The fract ure resistance of the yttrium-reinforced Al2O3/Ti(C,N) ceramic fool materia l is about 20% higher than that of the corresponding ceramic tool material without any yttrium additives.