MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION
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CUTTING TOOL MATERIALS

The chart below shows the relationship between various tool materials, in relation with hardness on a vertical axis and toughness on a horizontal axis.
Today, cemented carbide, coated carbide and TiC-TiN-based cermet are key tool materials in the market. As they offer a high balance of hardness and toughness.
CUTTING TOOL MATERIALS
GRADE CHARACTERISTICS
Hard Materials Hardness (HV) Energy Formation (kcal/g · atom) Solubility in Iron (%.1250r) Thermal Conductivity (W/m·k) Thermal* Expansion
(x 10-6/k)
Tool Material
Diamond >9000 Highly Soluble 2100 3.1 Sintered Diamond
CBN >4500 1300 4.7 Sintered CBN
Si3N4 1600 100 3.4 Ceramics
Al2O3 2100 -100 0 29 7.8 Ceramics Cemented Carbide
TiC 3200 -35 < 0.5 21 7.4 Cermet Coated Carbide
TiN 2500 -50 29 9.4 Cermet Coated Carbide
TaC 1800 -40 0.5 21 6.3 Cemented Carbide
WC 2100 -10 7 121 5.2 Cemented Carbide
* 1W/m • K=2.39×10-3 cal/cm • sec • r