Study on predictive modeling for thermal wear of uncoated carbide tool during machining of Ti–6Al–4V

Thermal wear is the major form of wear in cemented carbide tools used for cutting titanium alloys. This paper proposes a thermal wear model that can be applied for a cemented carbide tool and is a function of pressure value, wear rate, and thickness of the heat-affected layer (HAL). As part of this work, a new method of wear rate calibration was developed. First, the tools with an HAL were obtained via a diffusion couple experiment between the cemented carbide tool and the titanium alloy. Subsequently, a micro slurry-jet erosion (MSE) experiment was performed on the diffusion interface of tools to calibrate the wear rate and thickness of the HAL. The results indicated that the wear rate and thickness of the HAL were not significantly affected by the holding time and were significantly dependent on the temperature and pressure. Finally, the model was verified via cutting experiments. The results revealed that the wear model is able to predict the crater wear suitably. This study demonstrated the combined effect of diffusion-adhesion-abrasive wear and provides a reference for the acquisition of wear models.