Investigation of the effects of cryogenic treatment applied at different holding times to cemented carbide inserts on tool wear

• XRD results revealed that maximal amount of η-carbides precipitated on DCT-24.
• In general, the DCT-24 inserts exhibited the best wear resistance.
• Flank and crater wears were observed at all combinations of cutting parameters.
• Notch wear appeared at lower cutting speeds due to BUE formation.
• DCT-12 inserts exhibited close wear performance to DCT-24 inserts.

Cutting tool costs is one of the most important components of machining costs. For this reason, tool life should be improved using some methods such as cutting fluid, optimal cutting parameters, hard coatings and heat treatment. Recently, another one of the methods commonly used to improve tool life is cryogenic treatment. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of different holding times of deep cryogenic treatment on tool wear in turning of AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel. The cemented carbide inserts were cryogenically treated at −145 °C for 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 h. Wear tests were conducted at four cutting speeds (100, 120, 140 and 160 m/min), a feed rate of 0.3 mm/rev and a 2.4 mm depth of cut under dry cutting conditions. The wear test results showed that flank wear and crater wear were present in all combinations of the cutting parameters. However, notch wear appeared only at lower cutting speeds (100 and 120 m/min). In general, the best wear resistance was obtained with cutting inserts cryogenically treated for 24 h. This case was attributed to the increased hardness and improved micro-structure of cemented carbide inserts. These improvements were confirmed through hardness, image processing, and XRD analyses.