Austenitic stainless steels generally display poor tribological properties in sliding contacts partly due to their strong adhesion and transfer tendency to the counter surface. As a result machining of austenitic stainless steels is frequently associated with significant problems such as high stresses and high temperatures resulting in rapid tool wear. In the present study, the influence of coating micro topography on the initial material transfer of 316L stainless steel in sliding contacts has been evaluated using a scratch testing equipment. Coating materials include modem CVD Ti(C,N)-Al2O3-TiN and PVD (TLA1)N-(AI,Cr-2)O-3 coatings deposited on cemented carbide and pre- and post-coating grinding and polishing treatments were used to obtain different micro topographies of the coating surface. Pre- and post-test characterization of the surfaces was performed using high resolution scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and optical surface profilometry. The results show that the intrinsic topography of the as-deposited CVD and PVD coatings promotes material transfer. For the as-deposited CVD coating the nanoscale topography of the crystals controls the transfer while for the PVD coating the gm-scale droplets and craters control the transfer. Post-polishing of the coating, especially in combination with pre-polishing of the substrate, significantly improves the tribological performance of the surface reducing the friction coefficient and the material transfer tendency. However, the presence of gm sized droplets and craters in the PVD coating limit the possibility to obtain a smooth post-polished surface and its resistance to material pick-up. In contrast, post-polishing of the CVD coating does not suffer from intrinsic coating defects which results in low friction and a very high resistance to material pick-up.

The influence of tool surface topography on the initiation and build-up of transfer layers in the orthogonal turning of 316L austenitic stainless steel have been studied under well controlled conditions. Tool materials include CVD Ti(C,N)-Al2O3-TiN and PVD (Ti, ADN-(Al,Cr)(2)O-3 coated cemented carbide inserts prepared using different grinding and polishing treatments. Post-test characterization of the inserts was performed using high resolution scanning electron, microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results show that the transfer tendency of work material is strongly affected by the surface topography of the rake face. For both types of inserts, the initial transfer and the build-up of transfer layers are localised to microscopic surface irregularities on the rake face. Consequently, an appropriate surface treatment of the cemented carbide substrate before coating deposition and the as-deposited CVD and PVD coating can be used in order to reduce the transfer tendency and the mechanical interaction between the mating surfaces. Also, an improved surface finish was found to reduce coating wear and consequently the crater wear rate of the inserts investigated. This can most likely be explained by the reduced tendency to discrete chipping of coating fragments in the contact zone and the formation of a thin transfer layer composed of Al, Si, Ca, O with beneficial friction properties which are promoted by a smooth coating surface.

The present work has studied the wear and wear mechanisms of three different but comparable cemented carbide grades during orthogonal turning of AISI 316L. The influences of WC grain size and cuffing speed on the resulting crater and flank wear have been evaluated by optical surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanisms behind the crater and flank wear have been characterized on the sub-micrometer scale using high resolution SEM, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToE-SIMS) of the worn cutting inserts and the produced chips. In addition to a dependence on cutting speeds, wear rates were also found to be dependent on the WC grain size. High resolution SEM, AES and ToF-SIMS analysis of the worn cemented carbide within the crater and flank wear regions revealed that the degradation of cemented carbide at higher cutting speeds is mainly controlled by diffusion wear of the WC-phase. This is supported by ToF-SIMS analysis of the back-side of stainless steel chips which reveals the presence of a 10 nm thin W-containing oxide film. The results are discussed and interpreted in the light of the conditions prevailing at the tool-chip interface.

Titanium and titanium alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V are generally considered as difficult-to-machine materials. This is mainly due to their high chemical reactivity, poor thermal conductivity, and high strength, which is maintained at elevated temperatures. As a result, the cutting tool is exposed to rather extreme contact conditions resulting in plastic deformation and wear. In the present work, the mechanisms behind the crater and flank wear of uncoated cemented carbide inserts in the turning of Ti6Al4V are characterized using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and high-resolution Auger electron spectroscopy (AES).The results show that, for combinations of low cutting speeds and feeds, crater and flank wear were found to be controlled by an attrition wear mechanism, while for combinations of medium to high cutting speeds and feeds, a diffusion wear mechanism was found to control the wear. For the latter combinations, high-resolution SEM and AES analysis reveal the formation of an approximately 100 nm thick carbon-depleted tungsten carbide (WC)-layer at the cemented carbide/Ti6Al4V interface due to the diffusion of carbon into the adhered build-up layers of work material on the rake and flank surfaces.

Using Ti6Al4V as a work material, a methodology to systematically investigate the diffusion degradation of cemented carbide during machining is proposed. The methodology includes surface characterization of as-tested worn inserts, wet etched worn inserts, metallographic cross-sectioned worn inserts as well as the back-side of the produced chips. Characterization techniques used include scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS). The results show that the characterization of wet etched worn inserts gives quick and useful information regarding the diffusion degradation of cemented carbide, in the present work the formation of a fine crystalline W layer (carbon depleted WC layer) at the tool-work material interface. The present study also illuminates the potential of AES analysis when it comes to analyzing the degradation of cemented carbide in contact with the work material during machining. The high surface sensitivity in combination with high lateral resolution makes it possible to analyze the worn cemented carbide surface on a sub-mu m level. Especially AES sputter depth profiling, resulting in detailed information of variations in chemical composition across interfaces, is a powerful tool when it comes to understanding diffusion wear. Finally, the present work illustrates the importance of analyzing not only the worn tool but also the produced chips. An accurate characterization of the back-side of the chips will give important information regarding the wear mechanisms taking place at the tool rake face chip interface. Surface analysis techniques such as AES and ToF-SIMS are well suited for this type of surface characterization.