Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of Tin Whisker Toughening Al2o3 Based Ceramic Cutting Tool Composite

Based on achieving bulk production of TiN whisker, an Al2O3 based ceramic cutting tool composite toughened by TiN whisker was developed. The mechanical properties and microstructure of the composite were investigated. The results show that the toughening effect of TiN whisker is much greater than that of TiN particle. At the same time, due to the good physical and chemical compatibility between TiN and Al2O3, moderate addition of TiN whisker will not have a negative impact on the sintering densification process of the composite. On the contrary, compared with TiN particle, TiN whisker can play a greater role in optimizing the microstructure of the composite. When the addition of TiN whisker powder is 30 vol.%, the fracture toughness, Vickers hardness and flexural strength of the composite are 8.5 MPa·m1/2, 20.3 GPa, and 763 MPa, respectively. Such a composite with high mechanical properties will greatly expand the application field of Al2O3.