The usage of titanium alloys in many industries has increased significantly over the years due to their superior properties. However, they are extremely difficult to machine because of their distinctive characteristics such as their high temperature strength, low thermal conductivity, and high chemical affinity for tool materials. Hence, despite their increased usage, they are still expensive to machine when compared to other metals. The current research aims to address the machinability issues of titanium alloys by developing novel compositions of a new generation of self-adaptive Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coatings that function by forming beneficial tribo-films through their interaction with the environment. These tribo-films form during cutting and provide enhanced lubricity, hardness, strength, and thermal barrier characteristics to the cutting tool. It was found that during Ti6Al4V machining, significant BUE and crater wear formation occurs; however, one is dominant over the other depending on the cutting conditions. Therefore, the coatings investigated were designed by taking into consideration the dominant tool wear mechanisms and the complex tribological phenomena that occur in the cutting zone. The current research investigated monolayer TiB2 and CrN self-adaptive PVD coatings for the rough (cutting speed - 45 m/min, feed -0.15 mm/rev, and depth of cut – 2 mm) and finish (cutting speed - 150 m/min, feed -0.1225 mm/rev, and depth of cut – 0.25 mm) turning of Ti6Al4V alloy. Detailed experimental studies were performed to study the effectiveness of the coatings during machining. Micro-mechanical characteristics of the coatings were also studied to understand how coating properties affect the coatings performance in machining and tribo-film formation. The results obtained show that both the TiB2 and CrN coatings significantly improve tool performance during the rough turning of Ti6Al4V alloy compared to the current industrial standard, which is due to certain micro-mechanical coating properties and the beneficial tribo-films formed. A coating of CrN coating was found to increase tool life during finish turning. It was also established that for machining applications where intensive adhesive interaction occurs at the tool-chip interface, coatings with lower hardness values perform significantly better than harder ones. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Titanium alloys are increasingly becoming the material of choice for many industrial applications due to their superior properties. However, they are very difficult to machine since they have high chemical affinity towards tool materials, low thermal conductivity, and high temperature strength. These properties cause rapid failure of the tool. The objective of the current research is to address machinability issues during Ti6Al4V machining and improve tool performance. One effective strategy to minimize tool wear is to apply self-adaptive PVD tool coatings that can form beneficial tribo-films through their interaction with the environment and provide enhanced lubricity, hardness, strength, and thermal barrier characteristics to the cutting tool. In the current research, two self-adaptive PVD coatings were developed that offset the dominant tool wear mechanisms prevalent during the rough and finish turning of Ti6Al4V alloy and reduced the tool wear rate by more than 60% compared to the current industrial standard.

O presente trabalho trata sobre a influência do teor de enxofre, em quatro aços com uma composição química similar (famílias ABNT 1045 e ABNT 1145), na microestrutura, nas propriedades estáticas, dinâmicas e nos processos de usinagem. Para esta análise foi feita uma caracterização microestrutural de cada material para determinar parâmetros tais como a fração de inclusões de sulfeto de manganês (MnS) e a fração volumétrica de perlita. Também foi feita uma caracterização mecânica que consistiu em ensaios estáticos mediante o ensaio de tração e dureza, e um ensaio dinâmico utilizando a barra de Hopkinson, com o objetivo de observar o comportamento das inclusões e do próprio material quando deformado com altas e baixas taxas de deformação. Para a caracterização durante a usinagem destes aços foram feitos ensaios de torneamento para avaliar as forças de corte e de avanço em velocidades de corte de 190, 110, 45 e 15 m/min. A rugosidade dos corpos-de-prova também foi medida. Os resultados obtidos nos ensaios de torneamento e da caracterização microestrutural foram analisados estatisticamente para observar variações do comportamento das forças de usinagem de cada aço sob diferentes condições de velocidade de corte, e tentar correlacionar esse comportamento com a microestrutura do material. Observou-se que o aço 1045-A apresentou forças de usinagem (força de corte e força de avanço) superiores que os demais aços, já o aço que apresentou menores forças de usinagem foi o aço 1145-B. Isto é apenas uma tendência, devido que não houve diferença estatística que avaliasse esse comportamento. Também se observou que a rugosidade é um parâmetro que depende mais da velocidade de corte que da distribuição e/ou morfologia das inclusões. Evidenciou-se a formação de aresta postiça de corte (APC) numa faixa de velocidades (15-50 m/min), o que influenciou na rugosidade para estas condições de velocidades. Verificou-se que o comportamento das inclusões em baixas taxas de deformação é de caráter frágil, entanto que em altas taxas seu comportamento é plástico e deforma junto com a matriz. / This work deals with the sulfur influence on the microstructure and on the static, dynamic and machining behavior of four steels with similar chemical composition. (ABNT 1045 and ABNT 1145). Microstructure characterization of the materials was performed in order to obtain the area fraction of the phases of perlite and sulfide inclusions. A mechanical characterization of the materials was also performed, consisting in a set of static (tension and hardness test) and dynamic tests (Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar Test) with the objective of observing the deformation behavior of the sulfide inclusions at low and high strain rates. Various machining tests were carried out at different cutting speeds, namely 190, 110, 45 e 15 m min-1, for obtaining the cutting forces during de machining process. After the machining tests, the roughness of the steels was also measured. Later on, the results of the different experiments were analyzed with statistical tools and then compared to establish a correlation between the cutting forces and microstructure. The higher cutting forces were registered for the 1045-A steel and the lower for the 1145-B steel. However, this was considered merely a trend given that no statistical difference was found to support any conclusion. It was also observed a stronger roughness dependency on the cutting speed than in the distribution and/or morphology of the inclusions. The steels were observed to form a built-up edge (BUE) in a range of cutting velocities of 15-50 m/min. This phenomenon affected the roughness for these cutting velocities. The behavior of the sulfide inclusions was observed to be brittle under low strain rates. On the other hand, under high strain rates, a plastic deformation behavior was observed with inclusions participating in the plastic flow of the metal matrix.

O presente trabalho trata sobre a influência do teor de enxofre, em quatro aços com uma composição química similar (famílias ABNT 1045 e ABNT 1145), na microestrutura, nas propriedades estáticas, dinâmicas e nos processos de usinagem. Para esta análise foi feita uma caracterização microestrutural de cada material para determinar parâmetros tais como a fração de inclusões de sulfeto de manganês (MnS) e a fração volumétrica de perlita. Também foi feita uma caracterização mecânica que consistiu em ensaios estáticos mediante o ensaio de tração e dureza, e um ensaio dinâmico utilizando a barra de Hopkinson, com o objetivo de observar o comportamento das inclusões e do próprio material quando deformado com altas e baixas taxas de deformação. Para a caracterização durante a usinagem destes aços foram feitos ensaios de torneamento para avaliar as forças de corte e de avanço em velocidades de corte de 190, 110, 45 e 15 m/min. A rugosidade dos corpos-de-prova também foi medida. Os resultados obtidos nos ensaios de torneamento e da caracterização microestrutural foram analisados estatisticamente para observar variações do comportamento das forças de usinagem de cada aço sob diferentes condições de velocidade de corte, e tentar correlacionar esse comportamento com a microestrutura do material. Observou-se que o aço 1045-A apresentou forças de usinagem (força de corte e força de avanço) superiores que os demais aços, já o aço que apresentou menores forças de usinagem foi o aço 1145-B. Isto é apenas uma tendência, devido que não houve diferença estatística que avaliasse esse comportamento. Também se observou que a rugosidade é um parâmetro que depende mais da velocidade de corte que da distribuição e/ou morfologia das inclusões. Evidenciou-se a formação de aresta postiça de corte (APC) numa faixa de velocidades (15-50 m/min), o que influenciou na rugosidade para estas condições de velocidades. Verificou-se que o comportamento das inclusões em baixas taxas de deformação é de caráter frágil, entanto que em altas taxas seu comportamento é plástico e deforma junto com a matriz. / This work deals with the sulfur influence on the microstructure and on the static, dynamic and machining behavior of four steels with similar chemical composition. (ABNT 1045 and ABNT 1145). Microstructure characterization of the materials was performed in order to obtain the area fraction of the phases of perlite and sulfide inclusions. A mechanical characterization of the materials was also performed, consisting in a set of static (tension and hardness test) and dynamic tests (Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar Test) with the objective of observing the deformation behavior of the sulfide inclusions at low and high strain rates. Various machining tests were carried out at different cutting speeds, namely 190, 110, 45 e 15 m min-1, for obtaining the cutting forces during de machining process. After the machining tests, the roughness of the steels was also measured. Later on, the results of the different experiments were analyzed with statistical tools and then compared to establish a correlation between the cutting forces and microstructure. The higher cutting forces were registered for the 1045-A steel and the lower for the 1145-B steel. However, this was considered merely a trend given that no statistical difference was found to support any conclusion. It was also observed a stronger roughness dependency on the cutting speed than in the distribution and/or morphology of the inclusions. The steels were observed to form a built-up edge (BUE) in a range of cutting velocities of 15-50 m/min. This phenomenon affected the roughness for these cutting velocities. The behavior of the sulfide inclusions was observed to be brittle under low strain rates. On the other hand, under high strain rates, a plastic deformation behavior was observed with inclusions participating in the plastic flow of the metal matrix.