Ceramic materials wear mechanisms when cutting nickel-based alloys

In this paper the performances of some commercial ceramic inserts when cutting AISI 310 steel are investigated and compared to those of a traditional carbide based tool. The most important wear mechanism in the ceramic inserts is related to the segmented edges of the chips that abrade a notch at the end of the cut zone. Alumina-zirconia inserts are very sensitive to this kind of wear, whereas tools made of Sialon and alumina with SiC whiskers exhibit slightly better performances despite the concomitant chemical wear mechanisms. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.