 BACK |
- Technical Information
- Reference
- Cutting Tool Materials
CUTTING TOOL MATERIALS
The table below shows the relationship between various tool materials, in relation with hardness on a vertical axis and toughness on a horizontal axis. Today, cemented carbide, coated carbide and TiC-TiN-based cermet are key tool materials in the market. This is because they have the best balance of hardness and toughness.
GRADE CHARACTERISTICS
| Hard Materials | Hardness (Hv) | Energy Formation (kcal/g • atom) | Solubility in Iron (%.1250°C) | Thermal Conductivity (W/m • k) |
Thermal Expansion (×10-6/k) * |
Tool Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond | >9000 | – | Highly Soluble | 2100 | 3.1 | Sintered Diamond |
| CBN | >4500 | – | – | 1300 | 4.7 | Sintered CBN |
| Si3N4 | 1600 | – | – | 100 | 3.4 | Ceramics |
| Al2O3 | 2100 | -100 | ≒0 | 29 | 7.8 | Ceramics Cemented Carbide |
| TiC | 3200 | -35 | < 0.5 | 21 | 7.4 | Cermet Coated Carbide |
| TiN | 2500 | -50 | – | 29 | 9.4 | Cermet Coated Carbide |
| TaC | 1800 | -40 | 0.5 | 21 | 6.3 | Cemented Carbide |
| WC | 2100 | -10 | 7 | 121 | 5.2 | Cemented Carbide |
* 1W/m • K=2.39×10-3cal/cm • sec • °C
