Hierarchical machining materials and their performance

Machining is an important technological process in many areas of industry. The efficiency of machining determines the quality of many industrial products. Machining efficiency and cost depend on the properties, strength, and microstructure of the machining materials. One of the promising ways to increase the reliability and wear resistance of machining tools is the development and use of hierarchical machining materials.

In the area of machining materials, designed typically as binder/reinforcement composites, hierarchical structures are realized as lower-scale secondary reinforcements (such as nanoparticles in the binder, or polycrystalline, aggregate-like reinforcements, also at several scale levels). Such materials can ensure better productivity, efficiency, and lower costs of drilling, cutting, grinding, and other technological processes.

This article reviews the main groups of hierarchical machining materials and their performance.