Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) and Titanium Nitride (TiN) coatings are widely employed to increase the useful lifespan and performances of Hard Metal (HM) and High-Speed Steel (HSS) cutting tools, especially for harsh and severe service conditions. Then, at the end of the service life, tools will present damages and defects that lead to their decommissioning. For this reason, an effective procedure...
This study investigates the ion nitriding process of a novel aluminium-extruded mould steel (SDAH13 steel) with four different aluminium contents (0.01 wt.%, 0.21 wt.%, 0.76 wt.%, and 1.33 wt.%) through orthogonal and univariate experiments. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to characterise the microstructure and phase composition...
Austenitic mold steels exhibit significant potential in the die-casting industry due to their excellent high-temperature mechanical properties. However, their susceptibility to wear, scratching, and relatively low hardness impairs their wear resistance, thus limiting the application of austenitic steels in die-casting. In this study, austenitic hot-work mold steel (SDHA) with varying surface...
Third-times shot peening(TSP) was conducted on 4Cr5Mo2V hot-stamping die steel prior to plasma nitriding(PN). The optical microscopy(OP), X-ray diffraction(XRD), white-light interferometer, microhardness tester and ball-on-disk wear tester were employed to investigate the microstructure and properties of plasma nitrided 4Cr5Mo2V steel coupled with TSP processing. The results show that,...
Gears designed for power transmission in aircraft require increased surface hardness while maintaining the integrity of their core properties. This is typically achieved through conventional thermochemical treatments like case hardening or nitriding. However, these methods can be time-consuming and generate significant CO2 emissions, prompting the search for new processes to meet modern...
The wire drawing process enhances the material properties and dimensional accuracy of hot-rolled wire by pulling it through dies typically made of cemented tungsten carbide or diamond. Despite ethical and health concerns associated with cobalt, a key component of cemented carbide, it remains the most common choice due to its cost-effectiveness and durability. Recently, Nano Dies with...
C75 tool steel is a very widely used material in several technological fields due to its low cost and high availability combined with good mechanical properties. However, the material is prone to environmental degradation, sometimes combined with tribological degradation, in which case a coating is necessary to avoid these problems, with the main aim of increasing the environmental and...
The tribological behaviour of materials machined by electro discharge machining (EDM) is strongly influenced by microstructural changes in the surface layers. This technique is commonly used to machine cemented carbides, which are known for their high hardness and excellent wear resistance.
In this research, the impact of different surface finishes on the tribological properties of...
Hot forming, especially hot forging is a very demanding forming application requiring tool material with high strength and toughness and above all good wear resistance at elevated temperatures. Prevailing wear mechanisms in hot forming are abrasive wear and galling, with abrasive wear leading to dimensions mismatch and galling to unstable friction and poor surface quality of the forgings. In...
