Environmentally Friendly Free-Machining Steel

M E Finn and A K Srivastava, IAMS S V Subramanian and X Zhang, McMaster University

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Environmentally Friendly Free-Machining Steel

Background Machinability Cutting Tool Wear Mechanism Target particles or inclusions

Thermodynamic Models
Environmentally Friendly FreeMachining Steels
McMaster University

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Background - Optimizing the Machining Cell

MACHINE TOOL MACHINING PARAMETERS SPEED FEED DEPTH OF CUT MACHINING ACCESSORIES

Cost

RIGIDITY POWER REPEATABILITY CAPACITY

Optimization

FIXTURING HYDROBLAST TOOL SENSORS VISION MONITORS TYPE FLOW TEMPERATURE

Productivity/Quality

CUTTING TOOL
TYPE GRADE GEOMETRY COATING

WORK MATERIAL

CUTTING FLUID TYPE GRADE MICROSTRUCTURE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

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Background Advanced Machining Technology

High speed machine tools up to 8,000 RPM turning steel rounds up to 40,000 RPM rotating tools Hard and tough cutting tools fine grained carbides, CBN, ceramics Wear resistant cutting tool coatings multi-layered hard, tough and smooth Effective cutting fluids effective cooling and lubricating
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Background Leaded Free-Machining Steel

Historically, lead in combination with manganese sulfides is the best material for improving machinability of carbon and alloy steel at conventional cutting speeds. Pb + MnS steels finish smoother promote longer tool life
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Background Environmentally Friendly Free-Machining Steel

Development of environmentally friendly and costeffective free machining steel would allow Steelmakers to compete with other material makers Automakers to continue making economical vehicles Retention of highly-skilled machine operators Significant reduction of Pb in the manufacturing steam Reduction of toxins released into the McMaster University Machining Xcellence environment

Background Environmentally Friendly Free-Machining Steel

Objective is to design a free-machining steel that is environmentally compatible with cost-effective machinability.

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Machinability Leaded and Environmentally Friendly Free-Machining Steel

Bars from five heats of rephosphorizedresulfurized carbon steel with (Pb, ie SAE 12L14) and without lead (EF, ie SAE 1215): hot rolled and cold drawn EF and Pb EAF/INGOT hot rolled EF EAF/CC hot rolled EF and Pb BOF/CC
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Machinability Pb and EF Free-Machining Steel

Wear and cutting forces on cutting tool inserts while turning the bars dry.
WC cutting tool inserts SNMG432A, VC5 uncoated 0.010 ipr feed, 0.100 in. DOC 500, 600 and 700 sfpm speeds HSS cutting tool inserts SPG442, M4 uncoated 0.0105 ipr feed, 0.050 in.DOC 225 to 425 sfpm speeds
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Machinability (WC) EAF/Ingot Steels

45 40 35
Tool-Life (min)

30 25 20 15 10 5 450

500

550

600 Cutting Speed (sfpm)

650

700

750

CD EF EAF/Ingot Steel HR EF EAF/Ingot Steel

CD Pb EAF/Ingot Steel HR Pb EAF/Ingot Steel

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Machinability (WC) BOF/CC and EAF/CC Steels

60 55 50 45

Tool-Life (min)

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 450

500

550

600 Cutting Speed (sfpm)

650

700

750

HR EF BOF/CC Steel

HR Pb BOF/CC Steel

HR EAF/CC Steel

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Machinability (HSS) EAF/Ingot Steels

2500 2000
Tool-Life (sec)

1500

1000

500

0 275

300

325

350

375

400

425

450

Cutting Speed (sfpm)

CD EF EAF/Ingot Steel HR Pb EAF/Ingot Steel

CD Pb EAF/Ingot Steel HR EF EAF/Ingot Steel

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Machinability (HSS) EAF/Ingot Steels

300 275
Average Force (Ft-lb)

250

225

200

175

150 275

300

325

350

375

400

425

450

Cutting Speed (sfpm)

CD EF EAF/Ingot Steel HR Pb EAF/Ingot Steel

CD Pb EAF/Ingot Steel HR EF EAF/Ingot Steel

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Machinability Leaded and Environmentally Friendly Free-Machining Steel

Lead is not offering any distinct advantage over non-leaded (EF) free-machining steel Leaded and non-leaded (EF) free-machining steel have similar machinability at high speeds Crater wear is more dominate at high speeds

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Cutting Tool Wear Mechanism Chip Schematic

Rake Face

Secondary Shear Zone

Chip

Primary Shear Zone

Tool Clearance Face Workpiece

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Cutting Tool Wear Mechanism Consequence of Shear Localization in Machining

Shear localization occurring in the primary and secondary shear zones cause temperature rise and consequent chemical diffusion wear at the cutting edge and on the rake face of the tool, respectively!

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Cutting Tool Wear Mechanism

Sharp Tool

Wearland Depth of Crater

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Cutting Tool Wear Mechanism

Crater Wear Nose Wear

Rake Face

Clearance Face
Flank Wear
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Depth-of-cut Notch
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Target Particles or Inclusions

SEM picture of WC cutting tool exhibiting flank and crater wear after machining Pb freemachining steel for 15 min. at a cutting speed of 500 sfpm
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Target Particles or Inclusions

Tool crater wear is caused by temperature rise due to seizure at the tool-chip interface. Seizure implies atomic contact at the tool-chip interface. Chemical dissolution of the tool material into the chip occurs by diffusion mechanism!
Since the tribology of seizure causes the temperature rise, crater wear can be suppressed by engineering glassy oxide inclusions in the steel. Particles or inclusions in the workpiece form in-situ during metal cutting a viscous layer of adequate thickness, which lubricates the tool-chip interface!
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Target Particles or Inclusions

Abrasive inclusions Seizure

Workpiece Glassy inclusions

Intermittent contact Lubricating layer

Cutting tool

Workpiece

Cutting tool

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Target Particles or Inclusions

Deformable sulfide inclusions such as Type-II MnS are desirable to promote ductile fracture in chip formation. Hard abrasive alumina inclusions are undesirable as they promote tool flank wear. Modification of alumina inclusions into relatively soft calcium aluminate by calcium treatment is desirable to prevent physical wear. Deformable glassy oxide inclusions are desirable as they lubricate the tool-chip interface, preventing chemical crater wear of the tool. Glassy oxide inclusions are target for inclusion engineering.
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Target Particles or Inclusions

The inclusion engineering steps in slag-metal treatment 1) Identify target indigenous inclusions, ie spessartitic glassy inclusions 2) Identify the inclusion composition in equilibrium with Mn and Si content of the base chemistry 3) Identify the window of soluble Al in equilibrium with target inclusions 4) Design synthetic slag to control the soluble Al within the window by slag-metal equilibrium

5) Protect against reoxidation before solidifying the melt after slag-metal treatment
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Thermodynamic Model
The target glassy indigenous inclusion composition region in SiMn deoxidized AISI 1015 steel corresponding to the beginning of solidification in the caster at 1510 oC
Machining Xcellence 1510 C
20 o

SiO 2
0

100

SAE 1215 (EF FM)

80

Spessartitic glass
60

40
ppm Al

0.5

60
1.0 2.0 45 40 35 30 ppm O

iso-[ppm O] and iso-[ppm Al] [%C] =0.08 [%Si]=0.02 [%Mn]=1.0] [%S]=0.3 [%P]=0.08
40

80

20

100 0 20 40 60 80

0 100

MnO

mass, %

Al 2O3

McMaster University

Thermodynamic Model
Iso-contents of soluble aluminum and soluble oxygen in the melt after equilibration with CaOSiO2-Al2O3 slag of eutectic B composition at 1550 oC
1550 C
A, B : ternary eutectics
20 80 o

SiO 2
0 100

SAE 1215 (EF FM)

iso-[ppm O] and iso-[ppm Al] [%C] =0.07 [%Si]=0.17 [%Mn]=1.0] [%S]=0.08

Eutectic glass
60

40

60

B
0.5 12 3 5

40
60 50 40 30 ppm O

80
ppm Al

20

100 0 20 40 60 80 100

CaO

mass, %

Al2O3

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Environmentally FreeMachining Steel - Inclusion

W concentration in chips, ppm
8 6 Dissolved W 4 (with HfN coated tool) (Chemical wear)

Engineered
Cutting speed: 525 sfpm

Total W (Crater wear)

WC
(Mechanical wear)

Pb FM Steel

EF FM Steel

IE EF FM Steel

EF FM Steel

Comparison of tool wear in machining of leaded (Pb FC), non-leaded (EF FC) and inclusion engineered (IE EF) free machining steels with uncoated WC cutting tool and HfN coated cutting tool at a cutting speed of 525 sfpm. McMaster University Machining Xcellence

Environmentally Friendly Free-Machining Steel Inclusion Engineered

1. Inclusion engineered steel is self- lubricating and is based on modifying the rheology of existing oxide inclusions in the steel to be glassy so that they form an in-situ viscous layer during metal cutting of required viscosity to lubricate the toolchip interface. 2. Inclusion Engineered Environmentally Friendly Free-Machining Steel suppress crater wear during metal cutting more effectively than coating of the cutting tool, especially at high cutting speeds.
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Environmentally Friendly Free-Machining Steel Inclusion Engineered

Optimize Inclusion Engineered Free-Machining Steel with cutting tool coating and cutting fluid at high speeds.

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