Super hard composite material for tools

• US 5,882,777 A
• Filed: 08/01/1995
• Issued: 03/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshioka, Takashi, Setoyama, Makoto, Goto, Mitsuhiro, Nakai, Tetsuo, Kukino, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): TURNER, ARCHENE A
• Application Number:
  US08/509,744
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 428/698, 428/704, 428/216, 428/469, 428/699, 51/293, 51/295, 51/307, 51/309, 407/119, 75/238
• US Class Current: 428/216
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/0025 Compositions or ingredients of the compositions characterised by the crystal structure
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00405 Materials with a gradually increasing or decreasing concentration of ingredients or property from one layer to another
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/5831 based on cubic boron nitrides or Wurtzitic boron nitrides, including crystal structure transformation of powder
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/009 characterised by the material treated
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/4529 applied from the gas phase
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5027 Oxide ceramics in general; Specific oxide ceramics not covered by C04B41/5029 - C04B41/5051
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5053 non-oxide ceramics carbon or carbonisable materials C04B41/5001
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5057 Carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5062 Borides, Nitrides or Silicides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5063 Aluminium nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/52 Multiple coating or impregnating multiple coating or impregnating with the same composition or with compositions only differing in the concentration of the constituents, is classified as single coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/522 Multiple coatings, for one of the coatings of which at least one alternative is described
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/89 for obtaining at least two superposed coatings having different compositions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 407/27 comprising tool of specific chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick

Abstract

Super hard composite material for tools, comprising a substrate of CBN sintered body containing more than 20% by volume of cubic boron nitride (CBN), improved in strength of base material, wear-resistance, hardness at high temperatures and acid-resistance usable in cutting work of steels which are difficult to be machined. The substrate (2) has a laminated film (1) consisting of super thin films (a) and (b) each deposited alternatively on the substrate (2), the super thin film (a) being made of nitride and/or carbide of at least one element selected from a group comprising IVa group elements, Va group elements, VIa group elements, Al and B and possessing a crystal structure of cubic system and metallic bond property, the super thin film (b) being made of at least one compound possessing a crystal structure other than cubic system and covalent bond property under equilibrium condition at ambient temperature and pressure, each unit layer of the super thin films (a) and (b) having a thickness of 0.2 nm to 20 nm, and the laminated film (1) on the whole possessing a crystal structure of cubic system.

Claims

1. A cutting tool comprising a super hard composite material, comprising a substrate of cubic boron nitride sintered body containing more than 20% by volume of cubic boron nitride on which is laminated a film consisting of super thin films (a) and (b), each deposited alternatively on at least a portion of said substrate where cutting occurs, said super thin film (a) being made of nitride, carbide or carbonitride of at least one element selected from a group consisting of IVb group elements, Vb group elements, VIb group elements, Al and B and possessing a crystal structure of cubic system and metallic bond property, said super thin film (b) being made of at least one compound possessing a crystal structure other than cubic system and covalent bond property under equilibrium condition at ambient temperature and pressure, each unit layer of said super thin films (a) and (b) having a thickness of 0.2 nm to 20 nm, and said laminated film on the whole possessing a crystal structure of cubic system.

2. The cutting tool set forth in claim 1, wherein a composition modulated layer in which composition changes gradually and continuously is interposed between adjacent super thin films (a) and (b).

3. The cutting tool set forth in claim 1, wherein said super thin film (b) that possesses covalent bond property is a compound that contains Al or B.

4. The cutting tool set forth in claim 1, wherein said super thin film (b) that possesses metallic bond property is nitride, carbide, carbonitride, composite nitride, composite carbide or composite carbonitride that contains at least one element selected from a group consisting of Ti, Zr, Cr, V, Hf, Al and B.

5. The cutting tool set forth in claim 1, additionally comprising an intermediate layer made of at least one member selected from a group consisting of boride, nitride, carbide and oxide of IVb, Vb and VIb elements and solid solutions thereof is interposed between said substrate and said laminated film.

6. The cutting tool set forth in claim 1, additionally comprising a surface layer made of at least one member selected from a group consisting of boride, nitride, carbide and oxide of IVb, Vb and VIb elements is deposited on an outer surface of said laminated film.

7. The cutting tool set forth in claim 1, wherein said laminated film has a thickness of 0.5 nm to 10 nm.

8. The cutting tool set forth in claim 1, wherein said substrate is a cubic boron nitride sintered article containing 30 to 90% by volume of cubic boron nitride, the remainder of said cubic boron nitride sintered article being a binder consisting of at least one member selected from a group consisting of boride, nitride, carbide and oxide of IVb, Vb and VIb elements and solid solutions thereof and aluminum compound, and inevitable impurities.

9. The cutting tool set forth in claim 8, wherein said binder consists of 50 to 98% by weight of at least one member selected from a group consisting of TiC, TiN, TiCN, (TiM)C, (TiM)N and (TiM)CN in which M is a transition metal selected from IVb, Vb and VIb elements except Ti, and 2 to 50% by weight of aluminum compound.

10. The cutting tool set forth in claim 9, wherein said binder consists of 50 to 98% by weight of TiN, 2 to 50% by weight of aluminum compound, and inevitable impurities.

11. The cutting tool set forth in claim 10, wherein said substrate is cubic boron nitride sintered article obtained from cubic boron nitride powder, binder powder consisting of TiN_z (in which z is 0.5≦

z≦

0.85), aluminum or aluminum compound, and inevitable impurities, said binder consisting of 50 to 80% by weight of TiN and 20 to 50% by weight of compound, TiB₂, and inevitable impurities and possessing a transverse rupture strength determined according to JIS of higher than 110 kgf/mm².

12. The cutting tool set forth in claim 9, wherein said binder consists of 50 to 98% by weight of TiC, 2 to 50% by weight of aluminum compound, and inevitable impurities.

13. The cutting tool set forth in claim 12, wherein said substrate is cubic boron nitride sintered article obtained from cubic boron nitride powder, binder powder consisting of TiC_z (in which z is 0.65≦

z≦

0.85), aluminum or aluminum compound, and inevitable impurities, said binder consisting of 50 to 80% by weight of TiC and 20 to 50% by weight of compound, TiB₂, and inevitable impurities and possessing a transverse rupture strength determined according to JIS of higher than 105 kgf/mm².

14. The cutting tool set forth in claim 1, wherein said substrate is cubic boron nitride sintered article containing 40 to 95% by volume of cubic boron nitride, the remainder of said cubic boron nitride sintered article being a binder selected from a group consisting of TiN, boride and carbide of Co or W, aluminum nitride, aluminum boride and solid solutions thereof, and inevitable impurities.

15. The cutting tool set forth in claim 14, wherein said cubic boron nitride powder has an average particle size of less than 3 μ

m, and said cubic boron nitride sintered body has a transverse rupture strength determined according to JIS of higher than 105 kgf/mm².

16. The cutting tool set forth in claim 14, wherein said binder contains 1 to 50% by weight of TiN and at least one member selected from a group consisting of boride and carbide of Co or W, aluminum nitride, aluminum boride and solid solutions thereof.

17. The cutting tool set forth in claim 1, wherein said substrate is cubic boron nitride sintered article containing more than 90% by volume of cubic boron nitride, the remainder of said cubic boron nitride sintered article being a binder consisting of boronitride of Ia or IIa elements, TiN, and inevitable impurities.

18. The cutting tool set forth in claim 17, wherein said binder contains 1 to 50% by weight of TiN and boronitride of Ia or IIa elements.

19. Tools prepared from the super hard cutting tool set forth in claim 1.