Performance and wear mechanisms of whisker-reinforced alumina, coated and uncoated PCBN tools when high-speed turning aged Inconel 718

Inconel 718, an efficient superalloy for energy and aerospace applications, is currently machined with cemented carbide tools at low speed (vc ≈ 60 m/min) due to its unfavorable mechanical and thermal properties. The article presents results of a study of superalloy machinability with whisker-reinforced alumina, uncoated and coated polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) tools. Turning of age-hardened Inconel 718 (45 HRC) was done under high-speed machining conditions (vc = 250…350 m/min). Aspects of tool life, tool wear, and generated surface quality were studied. Application of uncoated PCBN tools resulted in surface quality and force level superior to other tool materials. Considerable sideflow of workpiece material was found to affect surface quality, especially for coated PCBN and ceramic tools. It was found that protective function of the coating, which increases the tool life up to 20 %, is limited only to low cutting speed range. EDX and AFM analyses suggested dominance of chemical and abrasive wear mechanisms. EDX mapping of worn tools pointed absence of diffusional wear for PCBN tools and intensive degradation of whisker reinforcement in ceramic tools due to diffusion of Ni, Fe, and Cr.