A cBN-TiN composite coating for carbide inserts: Coating characterization and its applications for finish hard turning

Cubic boron nitride (cBN)–titanium nitride (TiN) composite coating combines the thermal stability and super abrasiveness of cubic boron nitride (cBN) and the good lubricity of TiN, offering the opportunity for designing cutting tools with application specific new geometries (flat, chip breaker, and round shape) and cost effectiveness. In particular, the cBN based coating on carbide inserts is complementary to widely used polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) compact tools for finish hard turning applications. This paper reports the results of a study addressing the surface morphology, surface roughness, coating cross section, chemical composition, crystal structure, microhardness, adhesion, and the wear life of this cBN-based coating deposited on carbide inserts (SNMG432) for finish turning of hardened AISI 4340 steel bars. The surface quality of machined workpieces in terms of their surface roughness and white layer formation are also analyzed and the results are presented.