Research Projects

Cutting tool industries require materials with high hardness and toughness, which are commonly used in machining and tooling applications. However, India lacks tungsten ore, leading to a need for indigenization and the development of alternative materials. Titanium carbide (TiC) could be a potential alternative due to its low density, low friction coefficient, high thermal stability, high elastic modulus, and high thermal conductivity. To synthesize a nanocomposite with MAX phase, Ti₃SiC₂, by adding excess Si with TiC while sintering, an optimized microstructure is needed. Microstructural design, such as phase fraction and boundary design, can enhance fracture toughness and damage tolerance. Microwave sintering (MS) is used to enhance mechanical properties, making it an economical and scalable method. The research aims to mechanically activate TiC and Si through mechanical milling and microwave sintering to produce a TiC-Ti₃SiC₂ nanocomposite with a targeted hardness (≈20GPa) and toughness (≈10MPa√m), resulting in a two-fold increase in toughness compared to existing cutting tools based on monolithic ceramics. The research also intends to develop these novel composites and qualify the material through extensive characterization, structure-property correlation, and net shape component fabrication. The as-processed cutting tool insert will be evaluated during machining tool steel and Ni-base superalloys in a CNC turning machine for qualification for intended applications.