Development and characterisation of alumina-titanium carbide cutting tools

This study focuses on the development and characterisation of Al₂O₃–TiC-based ceramic cutting tools produced with advanced sintering techniques. Alumina–titanium carbide composites were prepared with varying TiC and ZrO₂ contents and sintered under controlled Gas Pressure Sintering (GPS) conditions. The effects of rare earth oxide (REO) additives (Er₂O₃, Yb₂O₃, Y₂O₃, Sm₂O₃ and CeO₂) on densification, microstructure, hardness and fracture toughness were systematically investigated. Characterisation commercial products were analyzed for comparison. Microstructural characterisation was performed using SEM, EDS and XRD analyses, while mechanical properties were evaluated with hardness and fracture toughness tests. The results demonstrate that optimized compositions with appropriate REO additions and sintering parameters achieve improved densification and mechanical performance. This work provides insights into designing high-performance Al₂O₃–TiC cutting tools suitable for demanding machining applications.