Preparation of recycle-typed Fe3Al alloy and its application for cutting tool materials

Recycle-typed Fe3Al composites reinforced by Fe3AlC0.5 or TiC phases with several volume fractions were prepared from high-carbon Cr steel sludge, Al can scraps and pure-Ti metal. The feasibility of recycle-typed Fe3Al composites for practical use as cutting tools was investigated by conducting cutting tests under dry conditions using, as work materials, an Al alloy (A5056) for rough machining and pure-Cu (C1020) for finish machining. In the cutting tests of A5056 by rough machining, adhesive wear was the dominant wear mechanism. The ranking of tool life was inconsistent with that of tool hardness, and the tool life of recycle-typed Fe3Al (3.3Ti) was longer than that of high-speed steel (HSS). In the cutting tests of C1020 by finish machining, the tool lives of recycle-typed Fe3Al composites were longer than that of HSS. After a 9 min cutting test with a recycle-typed Fe3Al (1.9Ti) tool, the surface roughness of C1020 was 0.8 μm, about half of that cut with the HSS tool. These results suggested that recycle-typed Fe3Al composites have potential as cutting tools, and showed promise as viable alternatives to HSS.