Abstract
High strength Al2O3-30wt%Ti(C, N) composites were obtained by pre-sintering and HIPing. The maximum flexural strength was 1.1GPa for Al2O3-TiC0.7N0.3 and Al2O3-TiC0.5N0.5. The microstructure of Al2O3-Ti(C, N) composites was finer than Al2O3-TiC and Al2O3-TiN. In the cutting test of hardened steel, the flank wear was less and the tool life was longer with increasing N/(C+N) ratio in Al2O3-Ti(C, N) composites. This phenomenon could be explained by finer-grained microstructure and residual stress.
