Microwave synthesis of duplexα/β-SiAlON ceramic cutting inserts:Modifying m,n,z values,synthesis temperature,and excess Y_(2)O_(3) synthesis additive

Duplexα/β-SiAlON ceramic cutting inserts(30α:70β)were synthesized by microwave sintering.The effects of solid solution parameters(m,n,z),synthesis temperature,and amount of excess Y_(2)O_(3) synthesis additive on phase assemblage,microstructure,mechanical properties,and cutting performance were systematically investigated.It was found that increasing m value could improve the formation ofαphase while high z value over 1.0 resulted in the dissolution ofαphase intoβphase and intergranular phase.Increasing the amount of excess Y_(2)O_(3) could promote densification and elongatedβgrain growth;however,the excess Y_(2)O_(3) amount above 4 wt%resulted in substantial crystallization of M'SS phase,thus declining the mechanical properties and wear resistance.The microwave-synthesizedα/β-SiAlON cutting insert with modified parameters(m=1.7,n=1.0,z=0.7,and 3 wt%excess Y_(2)O_(3))was obtained with optimal comprehensive properties,whose tool life was found to increase by approximately 75%in high-speed milling of Inconel 718 superalloy compared to the commercialα/β-SiAlON cutting insert.