Atomic-level observations could lead to optimised cutting tools

Researchers have developed a method of observing a common coating used on hard cutting materials it degrades, an advance that could save manufacturers time and money.

The team at Linköping University (LiU) in Sweden have developed a theoretical model that lets them observe the behaviour of titanium-aluminium nitride, a ceramic coating that hardens tools during the cutting process, a phenomenon called age hardening.

The alloy is, however, sensitive to high temperature. At temperatures up to 700 degrees, the material is unharmed, but it starts to degrade at higher temperatures.

Until now, no one has been able to determine what happens at the atomic level inside the thin film during the cutting process. According to LiU, it has only been possible to partially simulate the properties of the complex combination of titanium, aluminium and nitrogen, and it has not been possible to draw any conclusions from the results.