Mechanism of cutting edge chipping and its suppression in diamond turning of copper

This paper investigates the mechanism of cutting edge chipping in diamond turning of copper in terms of the change in Hertzian strength of diamond specimens subjected to thermal histories. The study suggests that the strength of diamond decreases as the result of the propagation of existing surface micro cracks caused by the thermo-chemical erosion of oxygen at the crack tips. The catalytic reaction involving copper is also shown to accelerate the crack propagation. Then, a cutting technique of reduced oxygen atmosphere is proposed to suppress the cutting edge chipping in diamond turning of copper over an extended cutting time.