Abstract
The intermetallic compound Fe_3Al was processed by a reactive sintering process, and its machinability was investigated using dry turning. In cutting Fe_3Al with a cemented carbide tool, the tool life was approximately one tenth that of cutting carbon tool steel SK3 because of intense flank wear. The tool life for cutting Fe_3Al using the cemented carbide P20 tool was longer than for cemented carbide K10, and a cermet tool reached its tool life limit by chipping for the whole cutting speed range measured. The roughness of the machined surface of Fe_3Al cut using a cemented carbide tool was much smaller than for SK3. However, for cutting using the cermet tool, the roughness showed a sharp rise due to chipping. It was found that tool wear could be attributed to the removal of reinforcement particles. The cemented carbide P20 is suitable for cutting Fe_3Al, and further, highly accurate cutting is possible for Fe_3Al because of the good surface finish.
