Cutting Performance of High Purity Alumina Ceramic Tools formed by a High-speed Centrifugal Compaction Process

Using a high-speed centrifugal compaction process (centrifugal force : 1×10⁴~2×10⁴ G) developed by the authors, a slip prepared from alumina powder with a purity of 99.99 % and an average particle size of 0.22 μ m was compacted, and sintered at 1230°C for 1.5 hours in the atmosphere. The sintered compact has superior mechanical properties, including a 3-point bending strength of 1330 M Pa and a Vickers hardness of 2100. The cutting performance of this high-strength alumina sintered compact was studied in this experiment. The results show that tools manufactured using the subject high-speed centrifugal compaction process have relatively high wear resistance and toughness as compared with commercially available high purity alumina ceramic tools.