Effect of posttreatments on the performance of tungsten carbide (K20) tool while machining (turning) of Inconel 718

Inconel 718 is widely used in sophisticated engineering applications due to its unique properties such as high oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance even at high temperatures and retains a mechanical strength under these conditions as well. But machining such an exotic material is costly due to the rapid tool wear. An attempt has been made to improve the performance of cemented tungsten carbide (WC-Co, K20) tool through various posttreatments namely cryogenic treatment and controlled heating and oil quenching. The treated tools were evaluated for their properties through microhardness and X-ray diffraction technique (XRD). The treated tools were subjected to machining (turning) of difficult-to-cut material, i.e., superalloy Inconel 718 to check their performance enhancement. Results showed that post-treated tools performed better while machining (turning) of superalloy Inconel 718 indicating that selected posttreatments can be potential posttreatment methods for improving machining ability of cemented tungsten carbide tools.