Performance of Al2O3/TiC mixed ceramic inserts coated with TiAlSiN, WC/C and DLC thin solid films during hard turning of AISI 52100 steel

The present work evaluates the turning performance of alumina (Al2O3) and titanium carbide (TiC) based mixed ceramic cutting inserts with TiAlSiN, WC/C and DLC thin-film depositions during machining of AISI 52100 steel hardened to 55 +/- 2 HRC hardness. Based on the generated machining forces, coefficient of friction, geometrical characteristics of the chips, and tool wear, a comparative analysis of the performance of uncoated and coated cutting tools was carried out. The machining outcomes were interpreted in relation to the adhesion strength of coating with the substrate, surface roughness and hardness of the top surface of the coatings. It was observed that the reduction of friction and machining forces accounted to lower localized strain along the shear plane leading to lower deformation of the chips. The TiAlSiN coating exhibited superior wear-resistance at the highest cutting speed when compared to DLC and WC/C coatings owing to its higher hardness and higher coating/substrate adhesion strength. However, the DLC and WC/C coatings, although softer, accounted to significant reduction of machining forces due to their self-lubricating properties. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).