An Assessment of the Machinability of Iron-Rich Iron-Aluminium Alloys

Iron-Aluminium-Alloys show high potential as a material for automotive and aerospace applications due to their combination of properties. In comparison with other iron-based alloys the lower density and good mechanical properties lead to a higher specific strength, which makes them interesting for lightweight applications. These alloys also have a good to outstanding resistance to oxidation and sulfidation. Nevertheless their use is restricted because of limited knowledge regarding the machining of these materials. New tool and cutting technologies have to be developed to counteract this situation. For example, a successful industrial introduction of a 10 wt% Al iron-aluminium alloy would require a cutting tool lifetime 10 to 100 times higher than the currently achievable. For this purpose, the characteristic wear effects at the cutting edge have to be understood and the alternating changes of chip formation by constant process parameters have to be explained. Reasons and remedies are discussed.