Authors:
Sandra Gordon Pozuelo (Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Campus EEBE, Spain),
Emilio Jiménez Piqué (Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Campus EEBE, Spain),
Rachid M’Saoubi (Seco Tools AB, Sweden),
Joan Josep Roa (Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Campus EEBE, Spain),
Luiz F.P. Franca (Element Six (UK) Ltd, Global Innovation Centre, United Kingdom),
Luis Llanes (Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Campus EEBE, Spain)
Abstract:
The adhesion strength of two TiSiN-coated polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PcBN) grades is studied in this work. Microstructural assemblage of the PcBN substrate, in terms of cBN content, binder chemical nature and average cBN grain size, is considered as main experimental variable. The present investigation implemented conical indentation to assess load levels at which cracking and delamination emerge and their evolution with increasing load. Tests were conducted on both coated and uncoated PcBN systems by using a conical diamond indenter of 200 µm in radius (Rockwell C) and applying loads from 98 to 980N. They were complemented by an extensive and detailed SEM inspection of fracture micromechanisms (i.e. type of cracking pattern and delamination). Results show that emergence and evolution of damage strongly depend on the substrate microstructural assemblage: the higher cBN-content grade (harder and tougher) exhibits a higher resistance to both cracking and delamination than the lower cBN-content one.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59499/WP225370198