High Power Ion-Beam Modification of Metal-Cutting Inserts Made of a KNT-16 Tungsten-Free Hard Alloy

Abstract—The effect of a high power nanosecond ion beam on the morphology, mechanical properties, and operational characteristics of metal-cutting inserts made of a tungsten-free hard alloy of grade KNT16 (TiCN–Ni–Mo) is studied. The impact of the high power ion beam is found to lead to a significant change in the wear resistance of cutting inserts during turning of 40KhN steel rods. The optimum irradiation pulse number, at which the cutting insert undergoes the minimum wear in testing, is determined. Scanning electron microscopy allows us to find that the impact of the high power ion beam with a number of pulses of 1 to 3 leads to the formation of a homogeneous recast surface layer of the samples, which, in turn, leads to an increase in their heat resistance during holding at 800°C. The effect of the number of high power ion-beam pulses on the microhardness of irradiated samples is studied.