CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) is a synthetic superhard material with excellent wear and chemical corrosion resistance. This article provides a detailed introduction to the properties and applications of CBN abrasives.
Hardness: CBN is one of the hardest known materials, second only to diamond. Its hardness is approximately 90-98 on the Rockwell scale C, several times harder than steel, making CBN an ideal choice for cutting and grinding applications.
Thermal Stability: CBN has excellent thermal stability and can maintain its mechanical properties in high-temperature environments. The melting point of CBN reaches 3500°C, far exceeding the melting point of diamond (3600°C), enabling CBN abrasives to perform cutting and grinding operations at high temperatures.
Chemical Stability: CBN possesses high corrosion resistance to most chemicals. It can be used for prolonged periods in acidic, alkaline, and other highly corrosive media without damage. This chemical stability makes CBN an ideal material for use in highly corrosive environments.
Wear Resistance: CBN has excellent wear resistance and can be used to cut and grind high-hardness materials. Its performance in high-speed cutting surpasses most traditional tool materials, making it less prone to chipping and wear.
Thermal Conductivity: CBN has high thermal conductivity, effectively transferring heat away and helping to reduce temperature during cutting, thereby minimizing thermal damage.
Electrical Properties: CBN is an insulator and does not conduct electricity. This allows CBN abrasives to be used at high voltages and high frequencies without interfering with electronic equipment.
Compressive Strength: CBN has high compressive strength and can withstand high-pressure applications, making it an ideal material for manufacturing high-quality tools.
Biocompatibility: CBN has good biocompatibility and does not cause allergic reactions or other harmful effects on the human body. Consequently, CBN can be used in medical devices and other applications involving contact with the human body.
Abrasive Materials
Due to the excellent grinding performance of CBN abrasives, they are capable of processing wear-resistant materials, improving productivity, and allowing for strict control of workpiece shape and dimensional accuracy. CBN abrasives also significantly enhance the grinding quality and surface integrity of workpieces. Currently, cubic boron nitride abrasives are widely used in grinding components in various fields such as automotive, bearings, machine tools, tools, and engineering ceramics.
Tool Materials
By combining cubic boron nitride micropowder of suitable particle size with binder materials through high-temperature high-pressure sintering, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) is produced. CBN tools are particularly effective for processing ferrous metals and their alloys, capable of rough and finish turning of hardened steel, high-speed steel, cast iron, and more. Moreover, they perform well in high-speed cutting of high-temperature alloys, thermal spray materials, hard alloys, and other difficult-to-machine materials, making them ideal for replacing grinding with turning.
In conclusion, CBN abrasives have exceptional properties such as hardness, thermal stability, chemical stability, wear resistance, and thermal conductivity, making them suitable for a wide range of applications. As science and technology continue to advance, the performance of CBN abrasives is expected to further improve and optimize to meet various application needs.