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[September 2009]
Nanocomposites Reveal Ceramic Cutters With Better Mechanical Properties
An alumina-based nanocomposite has been produced in Iran's Materials and Energy Research Centre (Tehran, Iran) which enables the production of cheaper ceramic cutters with better mechanical properties, it has been reported.
During the past few years, industry workers used high carbon steels and cast alloys as metallic cutters. After a period of time, ceramic cutters including carbides, coated carbides and alumina came into the market in order to improve the performance of the initial cutters.
Today, researchers believe that by applying nanotechnology in the production of cutters, their mechanical properties can be improved so that their performance is enhanced.
"We managed to produce alumina-based nanocomposites by carbide particles at a low price," said Mr Zakeri, one of the members of the research team. "Using cheap oxide raw materials and the single step production by means of mechanical milling at room temperature resulted in the reduction of the related costs."
However, Zakeri explained that the main thrust of the present study was to produce some nanostructured powders which could lead to the improvement of the mechanical properties of cutters.
He added that in this research, the possibility of synthesising and shaping alumina-based nanocomposites by carbide particles of SiC, TiC and WC has been investigated separately. In the mentioned systems, oxide materials of SiO2, TiO2 and WO3 together with aluminium and graphite, being milled respectively in a planetary mill.
Then the effects of parameters like milling time, raw materials composition, surface controlling materials and anneal time were examined.
ENDS