MIREA – Russian Technological University, Moscow, Russia

E. S. Kozik, Associate Professor, Dept. of Materials Science, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: ele57670823@yandex.ru

Orenburg State University, Orenburg, Russia
E. V. Svidenko, Associate Professor, Dept. of Materials Science and Technology, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: tzvetkova.katia2016@yandex.ru

In recent years, due to the rapid development of the mechanical engineering industry in the Russian Federation, the need for high-quality tools has increased. Using carbide tools, about 70% of all chips are removed. Alloys of the WC – TiC – Co system are the strongest of the known sintered hard alloys, but they are not wear-resistant enough. In this regard, it is important to improve the quality of hard alloys through the use of hardening technologies. Currently, the performance properties of hard alloys are improved by various methods: heat treatment in salt bath furnaces; high-frequency current heat treatment (HFHT); chemical-thermal treatment, as well as plasma and laser treatment. One of the fastest and most effective methods is HF hardening, which involves rapid heating of the surface layers of the part above the hardening temperature, and then cooling at a rate above the critical one. Heating can be done in different ways. The thickness of the hardened layer depends on the heating temperature, cooling rate and configuration of the part. The structure of the hardened layer depends on the heating temperature, cooling rate and composition of the material. After surface hardening, the part can resist dynamic loads due to the viscous core and work well under wear conditions due to the hard surface. The effect of the method of thermal action using high-frequency current on the change in the physical-mechanical (change in grain size, structure, solubility of alloy components and uniformity of their distribution) and operational (diamond-abrasive wear and wear during cutting on the front and back surfaces) properties of the T15K6 carbide insert is described. Experiments were carried out on T15K6 carbide tetrahedral inserts. Heat treatment of the tetrahedral inserts was performed on a high-frequency current installation at temperatures of 900, 1000, 1100 and 1150 oC with tempering at a temperature of 500 oC and without it. The microstructure of the samples after various modes of heat treatment with high-frequency current was studied.

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