Selecting the proper cutting tool material for a specific machining application can provide substantial advantages, including increased productivity, improved quality, and reduced costs. This article begins with a description of the factors affecting the selection of a cutting tool material. This is followed by a schematic representation of their relative application ranges in terms of machining speeds and feed rates. The article provides a detailed account of chemical compositions of various tool materials, including high-speed tool steels, cobalt-base alloys, cemented carbides, cermets, ceramics, cubic boron nitride, and polycrystalline diamond. It compares the toughness, and wear resistance for these cutting tool materials. Finally, the article explains the steps for selecting tool material grades for specific application.

This article provides crystallographic and engineering data for single oxide ceramics, zirconia, silicates, mullite, spinels, perovskites, borides, carbides, silicon carbide, boron carbide, tungsten carbide, silicon-nitride ceramics, diamond, and graphite. It includes data on crystal structure, density, mechanical properties, physical properties, electrical properties, thermal properties, and magnetic properties.

The classes of tool materials for machining operations are high-speed tool steels, carbides, cermets, ceramics, polycrystalline cubic boron nitrides, and polycrystalline diamonds. This article discusses the expanding role of surface engineering in increasing the manufacturing productivity of carbide, cermet, and ceramic cutting tool materials used in machining operations. The useful life of cutting tools may be limited by a variety of wear processes, such as crater wear, flank wear or abrasive wear, builtup edge, depth-of-cut notching, and thermal cracks. The article provides information on the applicable methods for surface engineering of cutting tools, namely, chemical vapor deposited (CVD) coatings, physical vapor deposited coatings, plasma-assisted CVD coatings, diamond coatings, and ion implantation.

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) involves the formation of a coating by the reaction of the coating substance with the substrate. Serving as an introduction to CVD, the article provides information on metals, ceramics, and diamond films formed by the CVD process. It further discusses the characteristics of different pack cementation processes, including aluminizing, siliconizing, chromizing, boronizing, and multicomponent coating.

This article focuses on precision and ultraprecision finish machining techniques that make use of defined cutting edges, such as polycrystalline diamond and cubic boron nitride compacts. The techniques are finish turning, finish broaching, finish milling, and finish drilling.

This article is a compilation of binary alloy phase diagrams for which germanium (Ge) is the first named element in the binary pair. The diagrams are presented with element compositions in weight percent. The atomic percent compositions are given in a secondary scale. For each binary system, a table of crystallographic data is provided that includes the composition, Pearson symbol, space group, and prototype for each phase.

This article is a compilation of binary alloy phase diagrams for which silicon (Si) is the first named element in the binary pair. The diagrams are presented with element compositions in weight percent. The atomic percent compositions are given in a secondary scale. For each binary system, a table of crystallographic data is provided that includes the composition, Pearson symbol, space group, and prototype for each phase.

Hardness conversions are empirical relationships that are defined by conversion tables limited to specific categories of materials. This article summarizes hardness conversion formulas for various materials in a table. It tabulates the approximate Rockwell B and Rockwell C hardness conversion numbers for nonaustenitic steels. The article lists the approximate equivalent hardness numbers for Brinell hardness numbers and Vickers hardness numbers for steel in tables. The tables are also outlined in a graphical form.

Ceramics usually require some form of machining prior to use to meet dimensional and surface quality standards. This article focuses on abrasive machining, particularly grinding, and addresses common methods and critical process factors. It covers cylindrical, centerless, and disk grinding and provides information on tooling, wheel selection, work material, and operational factors. It also discusses precision slicing and slotting, lapping, honing, and polishing as well as abrasive waterjet, electrical discharge, laser, and ultrasonic machining.

This article is a compilation of binary alloy phase diagrams for which tin (Sn) is the first named element in the binary pair. The diagrams are presented with element compositions in weight percent. The atomic percent compositions are given in a secondary scale. For each binary system, a table of crystallographic data is provided that includes the composition, Pearson symbol, space group, and prototype for each phase.

Metallographic examination is one of the most important procedures used by metallurgists in failure analysis. Typically, the light microscope (LM) is used to assess the nature of the material microstructure and its influence on the failure mechanism. Microstructural examination can be performed with the scanning electron microscope (SEM) over the same magnification range as the LM, but examination with the latter is more efficient. This article describes the major operations in the preparation of metallographic specimens, namely sectioning, mounting, grinding, polishing, and etching. The influence of microstructures on the failure of a material is discussed and examples of such work are given to illustrate the value of light microscopy. In addition, information on heat-treatment-related failures, fabrication-/machining-related failures, and service failures is provided, with examples created using light microscopy.

Quantitative image analysis has expanded the capabilities of surface analysis significantly with the use of computer technology. This article provides an overview of the quantitative image analysis and optical microscopy. It describes the various steps involved in surface preparation of samples prone to abrasion damage and artifacts for quantitative image analysis.

Thermal phenomena play a key role in the mechanics of surface finishing processes. This article provides information on the analysis and measurement of temperatures and associated thermal damage generated by finishing processes that are essential to the production of engineered components with controlled surface properties. Emphasis is placed on kinematically simple configurations of finishing processes, such as surface grinding, flat surface polishing, and lapping.

Proper sectioning of the surface to be examined is a very important step in preparing steel specimens. The first step in preventing damage to the metallurgical structure is to minimize the amount of sectioning that is done. This article discusses the various metallographic techniques, namely mounting, grinding, polishing, and etching involved in the microstructural analysis of carbon and alloy steels, case hardening steels, cast iron, ferrous powder metallurgy alloys, wrought and cast stainless steels, tool materials, steel castings, iron-chromium-nickel heat-resistant casting alloys and different product forms of steels.

In all grinding operations, care must be used in the selection of wheels and abrasive belts to meet finish and tolerance requirements without damaging the workpiece. This article discusses the major aspects of the grinding wheel, including production methods, selection considerations, standard marking systems, abrasives, and bonding types. It compares bonded wheel grinding with abrasive belt grinding. The article reviews the types of grinding fluids and discusses their importance in grinding operations. It describes the specific grinding processes and provides recommendations for grinding and grinding wheels.

The drawing process, one of the oldest metal forming operations, allows excellent surface finishes and closely controlled dimensions to be obtained in long products that have constant cross sections. This article discusses the basic mechanics and preparation steps of drawing. It presents an overview of the processes, equipment, dies and die materials, and lubrication associated with drawing of rod, wire, bar, and tube. The article also provides a discussion on the design considerations and manufacturing of commercial superconducting multifilamentary conductors.

This article describes the use of conventional machining techniques, laser cutting and water-jet cutting for producing finished composite parts. It explains two representative polymer-matrix composites--graphite and aramid composites--and discusses the machining and drilling problems such as delamination and fiber or resin pullout. The article describes machining and drilling techniques and the necessary tools and cutting parameters. It presents a description of laser cutting. The article also provides information on the advantages, disadvantages, cutting characteristics, and applications of water-jet cutting and abrasive water-jet cutting.

This article is a compilation of binary alloy phase diagrams for which rhenium (Re) is the first named element in the binary pair. The diagrams are presented with element compositions in weight percent. The atomic percent compositions are given in a secondary scale. For each binary system, a table of crystallographic data is provided that includes the composition, Pearson symbol, space group, and prototype for each phase.

This article describes the methods and equipments involved in the preparation of specimens for examination by light optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis for microindentation hardness testing, and for quantification of microstructural parameters, either manually or by the use of image analyzers. Preparation of metallographic specimens generally requires five major operations: sectioning, mounting, grinding, chemical polishing, and etching. The article provides information on the principles of technique selection in mechanical polishing, and describes the procedures, advantages, and disadvantages of electrolytic and chemical polishing. It also provides a detailed account of procedures, precautions, and composition for preparation and handling of etchants.