Research on tool wear of milling nickel-based superalloy in cryogenic

• Published in: International journal of advanced manufacturing technology 2017-08, Vol.91 (9-12), p.3877-3886
• Main Authors: Wang, Fengbiao, Li, Lili, Liu, Jingkai, Shu, Qilin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adhesive wear; CAE) and Design; Carbide tools; Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD; Cryogenic cooling; Cryogenic effects; Cryogenic engineering; Cutting parameters; Cutting speed; Cutting tools; Cutting wear; Diffusion rate; Efficiency; Energy measurement; Engineering; High speed; Industrial and Production Engineering; Liquid nitrogen; Machining; Mechanical Engineering; Media Management; Milling (machining); Morphology; Nickel; Nickel base alloys; Original Article; Oxidation; Scanning electron microscopy; Service life; Superalloys; Tool life; Tool wear; Wear mechanisms
• ISSN: 0268-3768; 1433-3015
• DOI: 10.1007/s00170-017-0079-6

This paper presents the first comprehensive investigation on the serious problems of tool wear and service life in conventional milling nickel-based superalloy. A series of machining experiments were conducted at various combinations of cutting parameters in conventional and cryogenic at 77-K milling processes. The morphology and element compositions of tool processing surfaces were analyzed and measured by the scanning electron microscopy and an energy-dispersive spectrometer, respectively. Meanwhile, the carbide tool wear behavior and mechanism in cryogenic cooling condition were also discussed in detail. The new findings indicate that at low cutting speed, the adhesive wear is easily found for the conventional machining, and the oxidation wear is for the high speed. As well as the cutting depth and feed speed are all limited, that is, lower machining efficiency. In liquid nitrogen cryogenic condition, the tool wear is not apparent at low and medium speeds, so that we can choose larger cutting depth and feed speed. At high speed, a part of adhesion and diffusion wears can be found, that is, inconspicuous oxidative wear, and the chip already made the plastic change. Furthermore, the tool service life can be increased four times at high speed and the processing efficiency is also improved obviously. The use of the liquid nitrogen cryogenic processing method can effectively solve the problems of serious tool wear and the lower processing efficiency for the nickel-based superalloy.