Laser shock processing on microstructure and hardness of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride tools with and without nanodiamond powders

High amplitude, short duration shock waves created by a 1064 nm, 10 ns Q-switched Nd:YAG laser were used to increase the hardness as well as build successive layers of nanodiamond on sintered polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PcBN) tools. Multiple scans of laser shocking were applied. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Tukon microhardness tester, and optical surface profilometer were used to evaluate the microstructure, phase change, Vicker’s microhardness and surface roughness. Results indicated that laser shock processing of plain PcBN changed the binder concentration, caused phase transition from cubic to hexagonal form, increased the hardness, and almost unaffected surface roughness. Laser shock wave sintering of nanodiamond powders on PcBN resulted in deagglomeration and layer-by-layer build-up of nanoparticles for a thickness of 30 μm inferring that a novel solid freeform technique designated as “shock wave induced freeform technique (SWIFT)” is being discovered for making micro-tools. Depending on the number of multiple laser shocks, the hardness of nanodiamond compact was lower or higher than that of PcBN. It is hypothesized that nanodiamond particles could serve as crack deflectors, increasing the fracture toughness of PcBN.