Cutting tools has always been referred to as the teeth of the industrial manufacturing, and the cutting performance of tool material is one of the key factors to determine the machining efficiency, factory cost and processing quality. so the correct choice of cutting tool material is crucial. Cermet cutting tools show incomparable advantages of traditional tools in high-speed cutting and in the machining of difficult-to-machine materials due to their excellent heat resistance, abrasion resistance and chemical stability.

1, About Cermet

Cermet is a kind of composite which are made by ceramic hard phase and metal binder phases. Cermet not only has good properties of ceramic including high strength, high hardness, good wear resistance, high temperature resistance, oxidation resistance and chemical stability and other characteristics, but also has good performance of metal  including good toughness and plasticity. There is no clear demarcation between Cermet and carbide, traditionally carbides called in the cutting tools field is actually made of hard phase WC and metal phase Co element,  while  TiC or Ti (C, N) based alloy is called as cermet.

2, Design principle of cermets

(1) The wettability of metal phase to ceramic phase should be better. Because it play very critical roles when measure  the structure and performance of cermet. The stronger the wetting ability, the more likely the metal form a continuous phase, and the better performance of the cermet.

(2) Violent chemical reaction should be exist between metal phase and ceramic phase.

(3) The difference of expansion coefficient between metal phase and ceramic phase should not be too large. Otherwise large internal stress will be caused and reduced heat stability of cermet.

3、Classification of cermets

1) Oxide matrix cermets. It is made of the matrix such as Al2O3, ZrO2，MgO, BeO and metal such as W, Cr or Co, and have high temperature resistance, chemical resistance, good thermal conductivity, high mechanical strength, can be used as a missile nozzle Bushings, smelting metal crucibles and metal cutting tools.

2) Carbide matrix cermet. They are made by TiC, SiC, WC as matrix and metal Co, Ni. Cr, Wn, Mo and other metal as binder phase. They are usually used for the manufacture of cutting tools, High temperature bearings, seals due to their high hardness, wear resistance, temperature resistance etc.

3) Nitride matrix cermet. These kind of material are get from TiN, BN, Si3N4, Ta5N2 as matrix, and exhibit superhardness, thermal shock resistance and good high temperature creep, but less used.

4) Boride- matrix cermets. TiB, TaB,  tantalum boride, vanadium boride, chromium boride, zirconium boride, tungsten boride, molybdenum boride, niobium boride, hafnium boride and so on as the matrix, and some metal materials from composite.

5) silicide-based cermet. With manganese silicide, iron silicide, cobalt silicide, nickel silicide, titanium silicide, zirconium silicide, niobium silicide, vanadium silicide, niobium silicide, tantalum silicide, molybdenum silicide, tungsten silicide, barium silicide and other matrix with some or trace metal materials And into. Among them, molybdenum silicide cermet has been widely used in industry.

4  The advantages of BERLT Cermet

As one of the earliest and the largest manufacturers and suppliers of super-hard cutting tools，Zhengzhou Berlt Hardmaterials Co.,Ltd has been dedicated to providing complete solutions with good-quality cutting tools for high-hardness cutting and high-speed cutting over many years. Berlt cermet exhibits better the ability of maintain high hardness under high temperature and better higher oxidation resistance compared with WC matrix carbide, and better toughness compared with Al₂O₃、Si₃N₄ and other ceramic inserts. They shown good inertia and low friction coefficient when cutting steel and cast iron and other materials, that will reduce the cutting temperature,  effectively prevent mutual diffusion and erosion of inserts atoms and workpieces atoms. anti-adhesive wear performance significantly improved. Therefore, under high-speed and high-precision cutting conditions, Berlt Cermet inserts shows good hot hardness and excellent resistance to crater wear. They are ideal tool materials for high-speed finishing and semi-finishing of steel.

Berlt cermet material grades:

Cermet grade	Corlor	Main component	Properties and application
MT330	Gray black	Mainly Ti(C,N)，and some high-temperature resistance trace elements	Excellent material for high precision and high efficiency machining of steel and cast iron
MT220	Gray black	Mainly Ti(C,N)，and some high-temperature resistance trace elements	Better impact toughness resistance，high toughness grade for milling steel and cast iron

 

BERLT CERMET INSERTS PROPERTIES

Cermet grade	Density(g/cm³)	Hardness(HRA)	Bending strength (N/mm²)	Fracture toughness (MPa.m1/2)
MT330	6.95	92	>1800	>10.6
MT220	6.8	91.8	>2000	>11.5

 Advance high properties material

1）Ultrafine grain uniformity and compact structure；

2）Optimization of bonding phase and hard phase composition design to improve adhesion between particles

3）The introduction of high temperature trace elements, improve the high-temperature resistance.