Influence of Ge content on the interfacial characteristics and wear resistance of brazed synthetic diamond grains of Cu-based composite filler

The aim of this paper is to provide a way of improving interfacial characteristics and enhancing the wear resistance of brazed diamond grains by Ge element incorporated into Cu-based composite filler. Brazed diamond joints were optimized by a two-step brazing method, in order to investigate the beneficial effect of Ge addition. The morphology and the interfacial characteristics of the brazed diamond segments were checked and analyzed. The mechanical properties consisting of microhardness and wear resistance were also analyzed. The results showed that the best defect-free microscopic morphology and high diamond protrusion of brazed diamond joints were achieved with Cu-based composite filler containing 1 wt% Ge. In addition, compared with those of brazed diamond specimen without Ge, the interfacial layer thickness of brazed diamond specimen containing 1 wt% Ge was increased by 0.31 μm. And the removal amount of ground tiles removed from the brazed diamond specimen increased by 5 mg. Moreover, the drop rate and uneven wear rate of diamond were decreased by 12.5% and 25%, respectively.