Microstructure, Mechanical and Wear Behaviors of Hot-Pressed Copper-Nickel-Based Materials for Diamond Cutting Tools

The current trend to replace cobalt in diamond cutting tools (DCT) for stone cutting has motivated the study of alternative materials for this end. The present study characterizes several copper-nickel-based materials (Cu-Ni; Cu-Ni-10Sn, Cu-Ni-15Sn, Cu-Ni-Sn-2WC and Cu-Ni-Sn-10WC) for using as matrix material for diamond cutting tools for stone. Copper-nickel-based materials were produced by hot pressing, at a temperature of 850 °C during 15 min and under an applied pressure of 50 MPa. The mechanical properties were evaluated though the shear strength and hardness values. The microstructures and fracture surfaces were analyzed by SEM. The wear behavior of all specimens was assessed using a reciprocating ball-on-plate tribometer. The hot pressing produced compacts with good densification. Sn and WC promoted enhanced mechanical properties and wear performance to Cu-Ni alloys. Cu-Ni-10Sn and Cu-Ni-10Sn-2WC displayed the best compromise between mechanical and wear performance.