Abstract
Binderless nano-polycrystalline diamond or cBN exhibiting excellent performances for precision cutting tool uses has a very fine and dense microstructure, in which small grains of several tens of nanometers are directly and strongly bound together. Their cutting performances are strongly dependent on the grain size, texture and intergranular strength. In this study, we investigated the microstructure features of various nano-polycrystalline diamond and cBN synthesized by changing starting materials and synthetic conditions, discussing the influence of the microstructure on the mechanical properties and cutting performances.
