Influence of Different Types of Cemented Carbide Blades and Coating Thickness on Structure and Properties of TiN/AlTiN and TiAlN/a-C:N Coatings Deposited by PVD Techniques for Machining of Wood-Based Materials
B. Kucharska, Jerzy Robert Sobiecki, P. Czarniak, Karol Szymanowski, Konrad Cymerman, Dorota Moszczyńska, P. Panjan
Abstract
The influence of different types of cemented carbide blades and thickness of TiAlN/a-C:N and TiN/AlTiN protective coatings used in the wood industry on cutting performance has been studied. Three types of WC-Co cemented carbide blades with different cobalt content were used in the study. The thicknesses of both types of coatings were ~2 and ~5 µm. The structure, chemical and phase composition were studied using transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM, SEM), X-ray dispersion spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The adhesion was evaluated by scratch test. Nanohardness and durability tests of uncoated and coated blades were performed. We found that the blades covered with 5 µm TiN/AlTiN coatings exhibited the best durability characteristic. The cutting distances were within the range ~6700-~7080 depending on the substrates in comparison with pure substrates (~4300-~4900) and 2 µm TiN/AlTiN coatings (~5400-~6600). The presence of a thin and soft outer a-C:N layer aggravates the nanohardness and durability of the coated blades.