Academic Edi o : Zhixing Guo
Recei ed: 14 July 2025
Re ised: 17 Augus 2025
Accep ed: 18 Augus 2025
Published: 26 Augus 2025
Ci a ion: P ˚uša, F.; Roma´nski, A.;
Ksi ˛a˙
zek, M.; Thü lo á, H.; Ty ała, D.;
K a och íl, P.; Kons an y, J.;
Voˇna ko á, I.; R˚užiˇcka, F.; Riedl, J.;
e al. Op imized Ho P essing o
High-Speed S eel–B onze Composi es
o Diamond-Rein o ced Tool
Applica ions. Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999.
h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/
ma18173999
Copy igh : © 2025 by he au ho s.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Swi ze land.
This a icle is an open access a icle
dis ibu ed unde he e ms and
condi ions o he C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion (CC BY) license
(h ps://c ea i ecommons.o g/
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A icle
Op imized Ho P essing o High-Speed S eel–B onze
Composi es o Diamond-Rein o ced Tool Applica ions
Filip P ˚uša 1,2,* , And zej Roma´nski 2, Ma zanna Ksi ˛a˙
zek 3, Hana Thü lo á 1, Do o a Ty ała 2,
Pe K a och íl 1, Janusz Kons an y 2, Ilona Voˇna ko á 1, F an išek R˚užiˇcka 1, Jan Riedl 1,
Robe D ˛ab owski 2, K zysz o Sołek 2, Jan Poko ný1and Lucyna Jawo ska 2
1Depa men o Me als and Co osion Enginee ing, Uni e si y o Chemis y and Technology, Technicka 5,
166 28 P ague 6, Czech Republic; [email p o ec ed] (H.T.); [email p o ec ed] (P.K.); [email p o ec ed] (I.V.);
[email p o ec ed] (F.R.); [email p o ec ed] (J.R.); [email p o ec ed] (J.P.)
2Facul y o Me als Enginee ing and Indus ial Compu e Science, AGH Uni e si y o K akow,
Mickiewicza 30 A ., 30-059 K akow, Poland; [email p o ec ed] (A.R.); [email p o ec ed] (D.T.);
[email p o ec ed] (J.K.); dab [email p o ec ed] (R.D.); [email p o ec ed] (K.S.); [email p o ec ed] (L.J.)
3Facul y o Non-Fe ous Me als, AGH Uni e si y o K akow, Mickiewicza 30 A ., 30-059 K akow, Poland;
[email p o ec ed]
*Co espondence: p [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
This s udy in es iga es he op imiza ion o ho -p essing pa ame e s o ASP60 high-speed
s eel composi es inco po a ing CuSn20 b onze alloy o use in diamond- ein o ced ool
applica ions. ASP60 and CuSn20 powde s we e cha ac e ized using XRD, XRF, DSC, SEM,
and lase di ac ion. The e ec s o CuSn20 addi ion a a ying concen a ions and com-
pac ion empe a u es (950–1050
◦
C) on po osi y, mechanical p ope ies, and ibological
pe o mance we e e alua ed. Resul s showed ha adding CuSn20 signi ican ly educed
esidual po osi y due o i s pa ial mel ing du ing compac ion, which acili a ed pa icle
ea angemen and densi ica ion. Op imal condi ions we e iden i ied a 1050
◦
C wi h
9.8 w .% CuSn20, yielding minimal po osi y (~3.7%) and he highes bending s eng h
(
374.51 ±36.73 MPa
). The op imized ma ix was u he ein o ced wi h TiC-coa ed di-
amond pa icles a concen a ion c = 20, p oducing a composi e ma e ial wi h excellen
wea esis ance, despi e mino de ec s in he TiC coa ing obse ed on ac u e su aces.
T ibological es ing demons a ed ha CuSn20 consis en ly lowe ed ic ion coe icien s
ac oss all es ed empe a u es due o i s sel -lub ica ing p ope ies and pa ial mel ing a
ele a ed empe a u es. Fu he mo e, ASP60 exhibi ed no measu able wea , making i a
p omising candida e o highly demanding applica ions. O e all, he s udy demons a es
ha CuSn20 alloy enhances densi ica ion, mechanical pe o mance, and ibological beha -
io o ASP60-based composi es, indica ing hei s ong po en ial o agg essi e wi e sawing
and s one-cu ing ool applica ions.
Keywo ds: ASP60 high-speed s eel; ho p essing; bending es s; ha dness; po osi y; ic ion
coe icien s; op imized compac ion condi ions
1. In oduc ion
High-speed s eels (HSS) ace se e al challenges when used as ma ices o s one-
cu ing ools, including app op ia e wea esis ance in highly ab asi e s one en i onmen s
such as g ani e o basal , high ic ion and hea gene a ion leading o so ening, and poo
he mal conduc i i y ha limi s hea dissipa ion, esul ing in ool de o ma ions o loss
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/ma18173999
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 2 o 25
o diamond e en ion. Because he diamond g i s need o be inco po a ed a lowe em-
pe a u es o minimize di ec chemical in e ac ions ha would o he wise deg ade hem
a highe empe a u es, sin e ing is usually pe o med a lowe empe a u es, leading o
esidual po osi y in he s eel ma ix, which educes mechanical s eng h and diamond
bonding. To p o ide con inuous and excellen cu ing pe o mance, ma ixes mus exhibi
high ha dness and yield s eng h, wea esis ance, and e ain hei p ope ies a ele a ed
empe a u es; main ain oughness o esis b i le ac u e; ensu e good he mal s abili y;
and p o ide s ong diamond e en ion [
1
–
7
]. Fu he mo e, low ic ion o sel -lub ica ing
beha io is c ucial o educe hea gene a ion, alongside chemical ine ness owa ds dia-
mond o p e en g aphi iza ion and p ese e cu ing e iciency o e p olonged use. Thus,
he p oblems ela ed o high-speed s eels a e no only exclusi ely ela ed o he ma ix
no o he diamonds bu a e a he much mo e complex, and hei changes migh s ongly
a ec he longe i y o such ools. On op o ha , he s uc u al homogenei y, po osi y, and
dis ibu ion o diamond pa icles a ec ool pe o mance by al e ing s ess dis ibu ion and
g i e en ion unde load [5].
ASP60 is conside ed one o he mos p omising high-speed s eels due o i s excep ional
p ope ies. I is known o i s excellen combina ion o ha dness, wea esis ance, and
ed ha dness, making i highly sui able o demanding cu ing and ooling applica ions.
I s composi ion includes high le els o ca bon, ungs en, molybdenum, anadium, and
cobal , p o iding excep ional ha dness (abo e 65 HRC) and s ong esis ance o empe ing
so ening. The ine, homogeneous mic os uc u e p oduced by powde me allu gy ensu es
supe io oughness and dimensional s abili y compa ed o con en ionally p oduced high-
speed s eels. Addi ionally, i s high anadium con en enhances ab asi e wea esis ance,
making ASP60 one o he mos wea - esis an s eels a ailable, which is c ucial o ools
ope a ing unde se e e cu ing condi ions.
In s eel-bonded diamond sys ems, challenges a ise om di ec chemical in e ac ions
be ween diamond and i on a sin e ing o ope a ional empe a u es, o ming i on ca bides
ins ead o main aining a s able diamond–ma ix in e ace [
5
,
8
,
9
]. This equi es adding
alloying elemen s such as i anium, ch omium, ha nium, o molybdenum, which o m
p o ec i e ca bides (e.g., TiC, C
3
C
2
) a he diamond su ace, enhancing in e acial bonding
and educing g aphi iza ion endencies [
10
–
13
]. The use o coppe - and sil e -based b azing
ille s in joining diamond segmen s o s eel co es has been in es iga ed o con ol di usion
and p e en in e acial deg ada ion, whe e Ti o Z addi ions p omo e ca bide o ma ion
ha imp o es bonding, while excessi e addi ions can inc ease g aphi iza ion and educe
join s eng h [
4
,
10
,
12
,
14
]. S udies show b azing empe a u e, ille me al composi ion, and
we ing beha io s ongly a ec diamond e en ion and ool li e [14].
Diamond, he ha des known ma e ial, is nowadays widely used due o i s p ice
d op obse ed o e he pas h ee decades in cu ing ools due o i s supe io ha dness,
he mal conduc i i y, and chemical s abili y [
5
]. Howe e , ein o cing cu ing s eel and
o he e ous ma e ials wi h diamond ools emains p oblema ic due o se e e chemical and
he mal deg ada ion mechanisms when ho -p essed a empe a u es exceeding 1120
◦
C,
being usually used o high-speed s eels [
1
,
2
,
15
]. Thus, he compac ion empe a u e and
i s dec ease in spi e o newly de eloped ma ixes a e o he u mos impo ance while also
educing he dele e ious po osi y [
16
]. Diamond, being me as able a ambien condi ions,
ans o ms o g aphi e a ele a ed empe a u es, especially in he p esence o i on-g oup
me als ha ca alyze g aphi iza ion [
6
,
8
,
9
,
17
]. This g aphi iza ion is de imen al, as g aphi e
is signi ican ly so e , leading o apid ool wea du ing s eel cu ing applica ions [18].
I is also s ongly in luenced by he na u e o he diamonds, whe e he na u al di-
amonds s a o unde go a ansi ion in o g aphi e a 900
◦
C while being accompanied
by olume ic expansion [
19
,
20
], p edomina ing he bu ning ha diamonds expe ience
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 3 o 25
a lowe empe a u es [
21
–
24
]. This is di e en om he syn hesized diamonds, which
unde go g aphi iza ion al eady a 750
◦
C. Conside ing he esis ance o diamonds, he
oxida ion becomes much mo e se e e han he g aphi iza ion, since i migh de elop a la ge
quan i y o gases, se e ely damaging he o e all in eg i y o he composi e ma e ial [
25
,
26
].
The g aphi iza ion is being desc ibed as a a he complex p ocess composed o se e al
mu ual e ec s composed o he o ma ion o a g aphi ized su ace laye and o g aphi e
nuclei 5–10 nm in size and hei u he mig a ion owa ds he diamond su ace, c ea ing
nucleus nes s wi h agg ega ed nuclei doubling hei sizes [17].
A di e en bu s ill compa able ield o sin e ed polyc ys alline diamond compac s
is widely used in applica ions such as cu ing ools and wi es o o ock d ills. The
chosen applica ion s ongly in luences he li espan o he wo king ool, namely by he
excessi e ool wea due o di usion p ocesses, cu ing esis ance, and hea gene a ion,
all o which deg ade ei he he ool o he p ocessed ma e ial su ace while inc easing
he ene gy demands [
5
,
27
]. The diamond–ma ix cohesion could be imp o ed by se e al
app oaches, which combine mixing he binde phase wi h diamonds, su ace coa ings,
o in il a ion. In pa icula , he coa ing sys ems o he diamonds ha e been de eloped
o imp o e hei he mal s abili y o he chemical bonding wi h a a ie y o ma ixes.
Fo example, he Z O
2
-based su ace coa ing epo ed in [
28
] allowed he p epa a ion o
composi e ma e ials o be ho -p essed a ex eme empe a u es o 1250 ◦C, a beyond he
g aphi iza ion onse s o unco e ed diamonds. This app oach can also enhance he ab ica-
ion o diamond-imp egna ed ools wi h HSS ma ixes, which can hen be ho -p essed a
highe empe a u es, e ec i ely educing he dele e ious po osi y o he esul ing ools.
Co e ing he diamonds wi h Ti o TiC o ms a p o ec i e ba ie ac ing as an e ec-
i e inhibi o o oxida ion and g aphi iza ion, inc easing he onse ing empe a u es by
50 o 100 ◦C
, espec i ely [
25
]. No only does his supp ess bo h he e ec s bu also p o-
ec s he diamonds om di ec con ac wi h alloys, imp o ing he o e all g aphi iza ion
esis ance [
6
]. On op o ha , i possesses excellen mechanical p ope ies, making his
echnique widely u ilized o ool applica ions. Howe e , he mal s esses due o mis-
ma ches in he mal expansion coe icien s be ween diamond (~1
×
10
−6
K
−1
) and s eels o
me al binde s (~10
×
10
−6
K
−1
) induce high in e acial s esses unde ope a ional empe -
a u e luc ua ions [
5
,
29
]. These s esses can p omo e he o ma ion o mic oc acks, edge
chipping, and e en ca as ophic ac u e o he diamond g i s o he diamond–binde in e -
ace [
29
]. S udies in ab asi e and g inding applica ions show ha empe a u es exceeding
620–800 ◦C
cause oxida ion and g aphi iza ion o diamond g ains, leading o mechanical
deg ada ion and loss o ool e iciency [
6
,
17
,
22
,
30
]. The agmen a ion o he TiC ba ie
could also be caused by he di e en coe icien s o he mal expansion imposing mechani-
cal s esses, as has been epo ed in [
31
], hus p omo ing he allo opic ans o ma ion o
diamond in o g aphi e. In ac , TiC possesses one o he highes coe icien s o he mal
expansion
7.7 ×10−6K−1
(1.0
×
10
−6
K
−1
o diamond) among he majo i y o ca bides
being used o hei su ace p o ec ion [
32
], causing c acks and u he chipping o he TiC
as a consequence o s ess elie .
The e o e, his s udy ocused on op imized ho -p essing pa ame e s o o e come
he long-s anding limi a ions o high-speed s eel ma ices in diamond- ein o ced ool ap-
plica ions. By sys ema ically add essing issues o po osi y, diamond deg ada ion, and
mechanical pe o mance, his wo k seeks o es ablish a p omising ma e ial sys em capable
o enhancing ool li espan and cu ing e iciency in highly demanding ab asi e en i on-
men s. Fo his pu pose, a comme cially a ailable high-speed s eel, designa ed as ASP60,
was used o p epa e a composi e ma e ial, wi h CuSn20 b ass (w .%) added o educe
dele e ious po osi y.
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 4 o 25
2. Ma e ials and Me hods
To op imize he compac ion p ocess and enhance mechanical p ope ies while mini-
mizing po osi y, ASP60 high-speed s eel (Scien i ic Me al Powde s L d., Abbeydale Wo ks,
Woodsea s Road, She ield, UK) and CuSn20 b onze alloy (ECKA G anules Ge many
GmbH, Velden, Ge many) powde s we e selec ed as base ma e ials. The powde s unde -
wen de ailed cha ac e iza ion using X- ay di ac ion (XRD PANanaly ical X’Pe PRO,
PANanaly ical, Almelo, Holland) o phase analysis and X- ay luo escence (XRF ARL 9400
XP, The mo ARL, Écublens, Swi ze land) o chemical composi ion de e mina ion.
Rheological p ope ies we e assessed by measu ing bo h he ap and appa en densi ies
o he powde s. Each measu emen was epea ed a minimum o h ee imes o ensu e
s a is ical eliabili y. Pa icle size dis ibu ion was de e mined using lase di ac ion
analysis wi h a Mal e n Mas e size 3000+ sys em (Mal e n Panaly ical, Almelo, Holland)
ope a ing in he we measu emen mode wi h a dual-lase se up.
Phase ans o ma ions wi hin he powde s we e in es iga ed using di e en ial scan-
ning calo ime y (DSC, TG-DSC Sensys E o, Se a am, Calui e, F ance). DSC measu emen s
we e conduc ed in Al
2
O
3
c ucibles unde an A a mosphe e, wi h a cons an hea ing
a e o 10
◦
C/min. The maximum empe a u e was se a 1200
◦
C o ASP60 and
900 ◦C
o CuSn20 o cap u e he an icipa ed phase ans o ma ions wi hin he alloys du ing
composi e alloy compac ion.
The wa e -a omized ASP60 powde s we e consolida ed using a ho p ess (UNIDIA-
MOND DC HP, Piacenza, I aly) o p oduce cuboidal samples. Each sample had a ixed
leng h o 40 mm and a ec angula c oss-sec ion wi h one cons an side o 12.2 mm; he
o he dimension a ied wi h compac ion empe a u e and esul ing po osi y. Fo each
compac ion cycle, 30 g o powde yielded ou samples. The compac ion p ocess was
pe o med a h ee di e en empe a u es: 950
◦
C, 1000
◦
C, and 1050
◦
C. The p essu e was
applied in s ages as ollows:
•Up o 750 ◦C: 15 MPa
•Abo e 750 ◦C: inc eased o 20 MPa
•A inal empe a u es (950/1000/1050 ◦C): inc eased o 35 MPa
Po osi y o he p epa ed specimens was quan i ied using he A chimedes me hod.
To educe esidual po osi y, CuSn20 alloy was in oduced in he nex s ep in o he ASP60
ma ix du ing he compac ion. Fo samples ho -p essed a 950
◦
C and 1000
◦
C, 14 w .%
CuSn20 was added, while 9.8 w .% was used o samples p ocessed a 1050
◦
C. The
con en o he CuSn20 alloy was calcula ed based on he de e mined po osi y o he ho -
p essed ASP60 specimens. The op imized compac ion condi ion—ASP60 + 9.8 w .% CuSn20
a
1050 ◦C—was
used o ab ica e a diamond- ein o ced composi e. Syn he ic diamond
g i s (Hype ion MBS–970, Hype ion Ma e ials & Technologies, Wo hing on, Ohio, USA,
60/80 mesh
, Ti
2
s anding o TiC-coa ed diamond g i s) wi h a concen a ion o c = 20
(
1 ca a cm3
) we e used o ein o cemen o he ASP60 s eel. These diamond pa icles
we e comme cially coa ed wi h a hick TiC laye o enhance he mal esis ance and bond-
ing du ing he compac ion as well as u he wi hs and applica ions such as agg essi e
wi e sawing.
Mechanical pe o mance o he ho -p essed specimens, including he ASP60,
ASP60 + CuSn20
, and ASP60 + CuSn20 imp egna ed wi h TiC-co e ed diamond g i s,
was assessed ia h ee-poin bending es s. Samples we e sec ioned longi udinally o
es ing a YAW-300G (Jinan Kason Tes ing Equipmen Co., L d., Jinan, China) lexu al
es ing machine equipped wi h a 10kN senso o accu a e o ce-displacemen acquisi ions.
F ac og aphic analysis was ca ied ou using scanning elec on mic oscopy (SEM) (Tescan
LYRA, B no, Czech Republic), equipped wi h Ene gy-Dispe si e Spec oscopy (EDS)
(Ox o d Ins umen s, Abingdon, UK, 80 mm2de ec o ).
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 5 o 25
The ibological beha io o ASP60 and ASP60 + CuSn20 specimens (bo h ho -p essed
a 1050
◦
C) was examined using a ball-on-disc se up (ELBIT, Koszyce Małe, Poland). Tes s
employed an Al
2
O
3
ball unde a 5 N no mal load, wi h a sliding speed o 0.5 mm/s o e a
5 m o al sliding dis ance. Tempe a u e-dependen wea beha io was s udied a 25
◦
C,
300 ◦C, 500 ◦C, and 800 ◦C.
3. Resul s and Discussion
3.1. Powde Cha ac e iza ion
The ASP60 and CuSn20 alloys (all composi ions gi en in weigh pe cen ) we e cha ac-
e ized using a combina ion o analy ical echniques, including X- ay luo escence spec-
oscopy (XRF), X- ay di ac ion (XRD), and di e en ial scanning calo ime y (DSC). The
elemen al composi ions de e mined by XRF a e summa ized in Table 1 o ASP60 and
Table 2 o CuSn20.
In he case o ASP60 high-speed s eel, he expe imen ally de e mined chemical com-
posi ion showed a good o e all ag eemen wi h s anda d nominal alues. Howe e , a
no iceable de ia ion was obse ed in he concen a ions o anadium (V) and ungs en (W),
whe e he measu ed con en s we e 8.250 w .% and 7.270 w .%, espec i ely. These alues
exceed he ypical nominal speci ica ion o app oxima ely 6.50 w .% o bo h elemen s.
Such en ichmen may in luence he o ma ion and dis ibu ion o seconda y ca bides,
po en ially a ec ing he alloy’s ha dness, wea esis ance, and esponse o hea ea men .
Rela i ely high con en o Co wi hin he ASP60 migh become a p oblem, as Co ac s as a
g aphi iza ion ca alyze esul ing in he chipping and mic oc acking o he diamond g i s,
hus inc easing he impo ance o u he p o ec i e ba ie s.
The CuSn20 alloy composi ion emained wi hin he expec ed composi ional ange o
in b onzes, wi h no signi ican de ia ions om s anda d speci ica ions. The collec ed da a
se e as he baseline o unde s anding he subsequen s uc u al and he mal analyses o
hese alloys.
Table 1. Chemical composi ion o he powde ed ASP60 s eel de e mined by XRF analysis.
Chemical Composi ion (w .%)
C W Mo Co V Si Mn Ni S Fe
4.105 ±0.06 7.270 ±0.08 7.020 ±0.08 11.144 ±0.09 8.250 ±0.08 0.407 ±0.02 0.110 ±0.01 0.112 ±0.01 -
bal.
Table 2. Chemical composi ion o he powde ed CuSn20 alloy de e mined by XRF analysis.
Chemical Composi ion (w .%)
Cu Sn Si P
80.587 ±0.100 19.314 ±0.100 0.028 ±0.005 0.071 ±0.008
In con as , he CuSn20 alloy, which was employed as a po osi y- educing addi i e in
he composi e o mula ion, exhibi ed only minimal con amina ion (Table 2). T ace amoun s
o silicon (Si) and phospho us (P) we e de ec ed, wi h a combined concen a ion no ex-
ceeding 0.1 w .%. Such low impu i y le els a e unlikely o signi ican ly in luence he alloy’s
me allu gical beha io o i s ole in enhancing densi ica ion du ing he
compac ion p ocess.
X- ay di ac ion (XRD) phase analysis (Figu e 1) o he powde con i med he p esence
o bo h
α
-Fe ( e i e, JCPDS ca d no. 04-002-1253) and e ained
γ
-Fe (aus eni e, JCPDS
ca d no. 01-074-5520) in he ASP60 alloy. Quan i a i e e alua ion using he Rie eld
e inemen me hod e ealed ha
α
-Fe cons i u ed app oxima ely 25 w .%, while e ained
γ
-Fe accoun ed o 46 w .% o he c ys alline phases. In addi ion, anadium ca bide (VC)
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 6 o 25
was iden i ied (JCPDS ca d no. 04-001-2752), comp ising 27 w .% o he sample, along wi h
a mino amoun o cobal ca bide (Co2C) (JCPDS ca d no. 03-065-8206).
The CuSn20 powde alloy exhibi ed a wo-phase mic os uc u e consis ing o he
δ
-phase (Cu
41
Sn
11
) (JCPDS ca d no. 03-065-7047) and he
ε
-phase (Cu
3
Sn) (JCPDS ca d
no. 04-001-2885). The p esence o hese in e me allic phases sugges s ha he o iginal
powde may ha e been p oduced unde high cooling a es, ypically achie ed by gas
a omiza ion me hods. These phases a e ypical in in b onzes subjec ed o non-equilib ium
solidi ica ion, and hei coexis ence may in luence bo h he mal and mechanical beha io
du ing composi e ab ica ion.
Figu e 1. XRD pa e ns o he powde s used o compac ion op imiza ion.
Gi en ha he ASP60 high-speed s eel powde was p oduced ia wa e a omiza ion,
i is easonable o assume ha he powde pa icles possessed oxidized su ace laye s upon
ab ica ion. Du ing high- empe a u e compac ion, hese su ace oxides may unde go a
he mally ac i a ed educ ion eac ion wi h ca bon inhe en ly p esen in he s eel ma ix.
Such a eac ion could lead o a educ ion in oxygen con en wi hin he ma e ial, po en ially
enhancing i s densi ica ion beha io .
To in es iga e his possibili y, di e en ial scanning calo ime y (DSC) analysis was
pe o med on bo h ASP60 and CuSn20 alloys. Fo ASP60, a epea ed hea ing cycle was
conduc ed o de e mine whe he any he mally induced eac ions we e i e e sible and
associa ed wi h oxide educ ion.
As shown in Figu e 2, he DSC he mog am ob ained du ing he i s hea ing o ASP60
e eals i e dis inc egions, labeled I–V. Regions I, III, and IV exhibi exo he mic peaks
ini ia ing a app oxima ely 650
◦
C, 900
◦
C, and 1100
◦
C, espec i ely. These peaks a e
indica i e o chemical eac ions, mos likely co esponding o he educ ion in a ious
su ace oxides by ca bon p esen wi hin he s eel ma ix. This in e p e a ion is suppo ed by
he absence o hese exo he mic ea u es in he second hea ing cycle (Figu e 2), con i ming
he i e e sible na u e o hese e en s and s eng hening he hypo hesis ha oxide educ ion
occu s p edominan ly du ing he ini ial he mal exposu e. Simila obse a ions epo ed
in [
33
] u he suppo he e ec i eness o a wo-s ep hea ing app oach in educing oxide
con en in he powde s, which is bene icial o minimizing diamond deg ada ion ia
supp essed ca bo he mal educ ion.
Below his empe a u e ange, wo addi ional endo he mic egions, designa ed as
II and V, a e iden i ied. Region II, s a ing a app oxima ely 700
◦
C and ex ending up o
860 ◦C
, co esponds o he onse o he ma ensi e- o-aus eni e ans o ma ion, eaching
i s maximum ans o ma ion a e a ound 860
◦
C. In Region V, a empe a u es exceeding
1200 ◦C
, he dissolu ion o exis ing ca bides begins. These ca bides, iden i ied by subse-
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 7 o 25
quen XRD analysis as V
8
C
7
and Fe
3
W
3
C, a e he mally des abilized a his s age, leading
o hei p og essi e dissolu ion in o he aus eni ic ma ix.
Figu e 2. DSC cu es o he ASP60 high-speed s eel showing he i s (ma ked wi h egions I–V) and
consequen ial second hea ing o he same sample.
The obse ed educ ion p ocess sugges s a concu en deple ion o ca bon, which
may cause a sligh al e a ion in he s eel’s chemical composi ion. Howe e , he emo al o
su ace oxides could be bene icial, as i enhances he compac abili y and sin e abili y o
he alloy by educing in e pa icle ba ie s and p omo ing s onge me allu gical bonding
du ing sin e ing.
The con en s o ca bon, ni ogen, and oxygen in he ASP60 powde s we e de e mined
by elemen al analysis o e alua e hei changes a e he DSC analysis. As shown in Table 3,
he con en s o bo h ca bon and oxygen dec eased, wi h ca bon dec easing om 2.21 w .%
o 2.09 w .% and oxygen dec easing om 0.285 w .% o 0.120 w .%. These esul s con i m
he p e iously men ioned assump ion ha oxides wi hin he ma e ial we e educed by he
ca bon p esen in he s eel.
Table 3. Chemical composi ion o he ASP60 high-speed s eel de e mined by elemen al analysis.
Scheme
Chemical Composi ion (w .%)
C N O
P io DSC analysis 2.21 ±0.066 0.046 ±0.002 0.285 ±0.028
Pos DSC analysis 2.09 ±0.062 0.047 ±0.002 0.120 ±0.011
The CuSn20 alloy was also subjec ed o DSC (Figu e 3), which e ealed wo p ominen
endo he mic peaks associa ed wi h he mal phase ans o ma ions and mel ing beha io .
The he mal esponse is consis en wi h he me as able na u e o he CuSn20 alloy, which
likely o igina es om i s speci ic powde p oduc ion me hod. Upon hea ing, he alloy
begins o ans o m owa d a mo e he modynamically s able phase equilib ium.
Ini ially, wi hin he empe a u e ange up o app oxima ely 500
◦
C, he me as able
s uc u e g adually e ol es in o a mix u e o
α
+
δ
and subsequen ly
α
+
ε
phases. A
sha p endo he mic peak is obse ed nea his empe a u e, ma king a c i ical ans o ma-
ion. The i s majo ans o ma ion, beginning sligh ly abo e 525
◦
C, co esponds o he
α+δ→α+γphase ansi ion.
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 8 o 25
Figu e 3. DSC cu e o he CuSn20 alloy.
Wi h con inued hea ing, he sys em unde goes an addi ional eac ion, ansi ioning
om
α
+
γ→α
+
β
, ollowed by he onse o pa ial mel ing, cha ac e ized by he eac ion
α
+
β→α
+ L. This pa ial mel ing p ocess is esponsible o he second signi ican en-
do he mic peak, occu ing a app oxima ely 778
◦
C, which aligns closely wi h he epo ed
pe i ec ic empe a u e o CuSn20 alloys.
Upon u he hea ing abo e 930
◦
C, comple e mel ing o he alloy occu s, in ag eemen
wi h p e iously published da a [
34
,
35
]. These obse a ions a e consis en wi h he indings
in [
36
], epo ing wo dis inc endo he mic peaks du ing DSC analysis o Cu–Sn-based
alloys, con i ming he ep oducibili y o his he mal beha io .
The mo phology o he powde pa icles was u he examined using scanning elec-
on mic oscopy (SEM), as p esen ed in Figu e 4. The obse ed mic os uc u e o he
ASP60 powde s is consis en wi h he cha ac e is ics ypically associa ed wi h he wa e
a omiza ion p ocess. The pa icles exhibi p edominan ly i egula and ounded shapes,
wi h a po ion o la ge pa icles displaying signi ican la ening. This de o ma ion is likely
a esul o in e ac ions be ween mol en d ople s and high- eloci y wa e je s, as well as
collisions wi h he walls o he a omiza ion chambe du ing solidi ica ion.
The esul ing mo phology is ep esen a i e o powde s p oduced by wa e a om-
iza ion and sha es se e al simila i ies wi h powde s ab ica ed ia al e na i e a omiza-
ion me hods, such as gas a omiza ion o cen i ugal a omiza ion. Howe e , due o he
aqueous en i onmen employed in wa e a omiza ion, some deg ee o su ace oxida ion
is an icipa ed.
To in es iga e his, SEM analysis coupled wi h ene gy-dispe si e X- ay spec oscopy
(EDS) elemen al mapping was employed o assess he dis ibu ion o oxidized elemen s on
he pa icle su aces. The esul ing maps, shown in Figu e 5, p o ide quali a i e e idence
o oxide o ma ion, pa icula ly a he su ace egions o he powde pa icles.
As illus a ed in Figu e 5, he ASP60 powde pa icles exhibi ed o e all good elemen al
homogenei y wi h espec o bo h hei p ima y and alloying cons i uen s. Howe e , su ace
oxida ion was clea ly e iden on se e al pa icles, in ag eemen wi h p io assump ions
based on he wa e a omiza ion p ocess.
Al hough he oxida ion appea ed gene ally uni o m ac oss mos pa icle su aces,
ce ain pa icles exhibi ed highly localized egions wi h signi ican ly ele a ed oxygen
concen a ions ela i e o hei su oundings. These localized oxidized zones p o ide
u he e idence o su ace-le el oxida ion, likely esul ing om he apid solidi ica ion and
exposu e o he aqueous en i onmen du ing a omiza ion. The p esence o such oxida ion
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 9 o 25
may in luence he powde ’s eac i i y and sin e abili y in subsequen high- empe a u e
p ocessing s eps.
Figu e 4. Mo phology o he ASP60 powde showing a ious magni ica ions (SEM, 20 kV, SE de ec o ).
(a) 1000×; (b) 2000×; (c) 4000×magni ica ions.
Figu e 5. SEM + EDS elemen dis ibu ion maps o he ASP60 wa e -a omized powde .
A simila in es iga ion was conduc ed on he CuSn20 alloy, which se ed as bo h a
binde and a po osi y- educing agen in he compac ion p ocess. Due o i s ela i ely low
mel ing poin and a o able low cha ac e is ics, CuSn20 acili a es he ea angemen o
ASP60 high-speed s eel pa icles and aids in illing in e s i ial oids du ing ho p essing,
he eby enhancing densi ica ion.
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 16 o 25
Table 8. Vicke s (HV30) ha dness o he p epa ed specimens measu ed on he ensile and comp essi e
si es, accompanied by a ela i e s anda d de ia ion (RSD) and a 95% con idence in e al.
Po ous Si e C ack Si e
Ma e ial Compac ion
Tempe a u e (◦C) A e age HV30 RSD
Con idence
A e age HV30 RSD Con idence
ASP60 1000 695.7 85.8 106.6 641.9 50.1 62.3
ASP60 1050 888.7 72.7 90.2 854.1 32.5 40.4
ASP60 +
CuSn20 1000 832.7 20.6 25.5 852.7 30.2 37.6
ASP60 +
CuSn20 1050 794.0 13.2 16.4 906.0 18.5 23.0
Table 9. Rockwell (HRC) ha dness o he p epa ed specimens measu ed on he ensile and comp es-
si e si es, accompanied by a ela i e s anda d de ia ion (RSD) and a 95% con idence in e al.
Po ous Si e C ack Si e
Ma e ial Compac ion
Tempe a u e (◦C) A e age HRC RSD
Con idence
A e age HRC RSD Con idence
ASP60 1000 59.4 2.7 3.4 56.0 3.5 4.4
ASP60 1050 62.0 2.3 2.9 61.0 1.2 1.5
ASP60 +
CuSn20 1000 64.4 0.5 0.7 64.8 0.4 0.6
ASP60 +
CuSn20 1050 62.6 0.5 0.7 64.8 0.4 0.6
The obse ed ac u e su aces exhibi ed ea u es cha ac e is ic o mixed-mode ailu e,
combining ansg anula ac u e wi h quasi-clea age ace s. Addi ionally, nume ous pa i-
cle pull-ou s we e e iden , leading o he o ma ion o oids, indica i e o weak in e pa icle
bonding in localized egions. No ably, he p esence o mic o-dimples was also obse ed,
which a e ypically associa ed wi h duc ile ac u e beha io . These dimples likely o igina e
om he plas ic de o ma ion o e ained aus eni e egions as well as decohesion a ound
ine ca bide pa icles.
The ca bide pa icles, uni o mly dis ibu ed ac oss he ac u e su ace, displayed
an a e age diame e o app oxima ely 200 nm. Thei homogeneous dispe sion sugges s
e ec i e pa icle bonding and consis en mic os uc u al de elopmen h oughou he
sin e ed ma ix. These indings unde sco e he complex ac u e mechanisms a play and
highligh he in luence o e ained aus eni e and second-phase pa icles on he o e all
ac u e beha io o he specimens.
Howe e , a no able dis inc ion eme ges when compa ing he ac u e su aces o he
ASP60 alloy wi h hose o he ASP60 + CuSn20 composi e. In he la e , dis inc egions
co esponding o he CuSn20 phase a e e iden , appea ing as b igh e a eas in he SEM
mic og aphs (Figu e 15). These egions indica e he p esence o he CuSn20 alloy wi hin
he ma ix, sugges ing a he e ogeneous mic os uc u e in which he seconda y phase is
embedded wi hin he ASP60 amewo k.
E alua ion o he mechanical p ope ies clea ly indica ed ha po osi y is he dominan
ac o nega i ely a ec ing he o e all pe o mance o he in es iga ed ma e ials. Despi e
he a ia ion in compac ion empe a u es, X- ay di ac ion (XRD) analysis e ealed ha he
phase composi ion o he specimens emained la gely in a ian (Figu e 16). The p ima y
phases iden i ied ac oss all samples included a e na y ca bide Fe
3
W
3
C (JCPDS ca d no.
04-006-1675), a bina y anadium ca bide V
8
C
7
(JCPDS ca d no. 01-089-2608), and body-
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 17 o 25
cen e ed cubic (BCC) Fe (JCPDS ca d no. 04-002-1253), co esponding o he p esence
o ma ensi e. The p esence o ma ensi e could be explained by he abili y o ASP60
high-speed s eel o unde go a phase ans o ma ion o e ained aus eni e du ing plas ic
de o ma ion, which is in oduced, e.g., due o g inding.
Figu e 12. SEM mic og aphs o he ac u e su ace o he ASP60 alloy ho -p essed a 1000
◦
C showing
di e en magni ica ions in (a–c) ( ensile si e).
Figu e 13. SEM mic og aphs o he ac u e su ace o he ASP60 alloy ho -p essed a 1000
◦
C showing
di e en magni ica ions in (a–c) (comp essi e si e).
Figu e 14. SEM mic og aphs o he ac u e su ace o he ASP60 alloy ho -p essed a 1050
◦
C:
(a,b) ensile si e; (c,d) comp essi e si e.
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 18 o 25
Figu e 15. SEM mic og aphs o he ac u e su ace o he ASP60 + CuSn20 alloy ho -p essed a
1050 ◦C: (a,b) po ous si e; (c) c ack si e.
Figu e 16. XRD di ac ion pa e ns o ASP60 alloy being ho -p essed a di e en empe a u es as
well as o he ASP + CuSn20 composi e ho -p essed a 950 ◦C.
The addi ion o 9.8 w .% CuSn20 alloy o he ASP60 ma ix signi ican ly educed
po osi y and led o he o ma ion o addi ional in e me allic phases. The majo i y o
hese phases co esponded o Cu
0.9
Sn
0.1
(JCPDS ca d no. 04-018-6729), while a smalle
ac ion, amoun ing o se e al weigh pe cen , was iden i ied as Cu
41
Sn
11
(JCPDS ca d no.
01-071-0094). The obse ed BCC Fe phase may be associa ed wi h low-ca bon ma ensi ic
s uc u es o o he e i ic cons i uen s, which a e no easily dis inguishable by con en ional
me hods such as op ical mic oscopy (OM) o scanning elec on mic oscopy (SEM).
Ne e heless, upon deep e ching, all he specimens e ealed he p esence o small
ac ions o e ained aus eni e (Figu e 17) cha ac e ized by a ace-cen e ed cubic (FCC)
c ys al la ice. This obse a ion sugges s ha some me as able aus eni ic egions we e
e ained du ing cooling, po en ially con ibu ing o localized duc ili y wi hin he o he wise
ha d ma ix. Excep o exposing he e ained aus eni e, he phase composi ion was
iden ical o ha obse ed in he case o p epa ed specimens wi hou deep e ching.
Based on hese indings, a compac ion empe a u e o 1050
◦
C combined wi h he
addi ion o 9.8 w .% CuSn20 was iden i ied as he mos p omising p ocessing condi ion
o he ab ica ion o a composi e ma e ial ein o ced wi h TiC-coa ed diamond pa icles.
This combina ion o e s an op imal balance be ween densi ica ion, phase s abili y, and
mic os uc u al uni o mi y.
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 19 o 25
Figu e 17. XRD di ac ion pa e ns o (a) ASP60 alloy; (b) ASP + CuSn20 alloy a e deep e ching.
3.3. P ope ies o Composi e Ma e ial (ASP60 + CuSn20 + TiC/Diamond)
The diamond- ein o ced composi e ma e ial, comp ising ASP60 high-speed s eel,
9.8 w .% CuSn20 b onze, and TiC-coa ed diamond pa icles a a concen a ion o c = 20,
was ab ica ed ia ho p essing a 1050
◦
C. The compac ion p ocess was ca ied ou unde
uniaxial p essu e wi h a cons an dwell ime o 3 min. The o al po osi y o he esul ing
composi e was e alua ed using dimensional analysis, yielding an app oxima e alue o
9.16%. I should be no ed ha his measu emen is in luenced by he al e ed e ec i e
densi y o he mul iphase sys em, which was assumed, acco ding o he ASP60 p oduc
lis [38], o be 8.0 g/cm3, consis en wi h p e ious expe imen al condi ions.
As summa ized in Table 10, he lexu al s eng h (359.1
±
26.5 MPa) o he diamond-
ein o ced composi e is compa able o ha o he ASP60 + CuSn20 ma ix ma e ial
(
374.51 ±36.73 MPa
, see Table 7). Howe e , despi e he simila mechanical s eng h, he
composi e exhibi s signi ican ly enhanced ibological beha io . The ma e ial demons a ed
ex eme esis ance o ab asi e wea , o he ex en ha i could ba ely be machined using
diamond g inding pla es. This indica es a subs an ial imp o emen in wea esis ance
and unde sco es he po en ial o his composi e o applica ion in highly demanding
ibological en i onmen s.
Table 10. Resul s o bending es s show he a e age lexu al s eng h o he composi e.
Ma e ial Compac ion Tempe a u e (◦C) σbending (MPa)
ASP60 + CuSn20 + 20C 1050 359.1 ±26.5
The ac u e su ace was also in es iga ed in mo e de ail using SEM and EDS, as
shown in Figu e 18.
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 20 o 25
Figu e 18. SEM mic og aphs o he ac u e su ace o he ASP60 + CuSn20 + 20TiC/diamond
composi e alloy ho -p essed a 1050
◦
C, showing (a) an o e iew; (b) a diamond wi h some su ace
damage; and (c) a de ailed iew o he emaining TiC su ace laye .
As shown in Figu e 18, examina ion o he ac u e su aces ollowing lexu al es ing
e ealed he p esence o diamond pa icles wi h pa ially p ese ed TiC coa ings. In many
cases, he absence o he TiC laye in he ac u e zone sugges s good in e acial cohesion
be ween he p o ec i e coa ing and he ASP60 high-speed s eel ma ix, implying ha he
coa ing emained well-bonded du ing bo h p ocessing and mechanical loading.
Close inspec ion (Figu e 18b) shows ha some diamond pa icles exhibi su ace dam-
age in he o m o g aphi iza ion pi s and edge chipping simila o he wo k o She chenko
e al. [
23
]. These ea u es a e mos likely associa ed wi h egions whe e he TiC coa ing
was ei he absen o deg aded, as p e iously indica ed in Figu es 9and 10. Du ing ho
p essing, such uncoa ed diamond su aces come in o di ec con ac wi h he me allic ma ix,
which can esul in localized chemical in e ac ions and mechanical in e locking. This may
enhance bonding s eng h bu also inc eases he isk o undesi ed eac ions a ele a ed
empe a u es, such as su ace g aphi iza ion o diamond g i s.
A compac ion empe a u es exceeding 800
◦
C—pa icula ly a he 1050
◦
C empe -
a u e used in his s udy— he isk o diamond deg ada ion becomes signi ican . Di ec
con ac be ween diamond and he i on-based ma ix can lead o ca bon dissolu ion in o he
s eel o he onse o diamond g aphi iza ion. In his con ex , he TiC coa ing se es no only
as a physical in e ace bu also as a c i ical he mal and chemical ba ie . I s in eg i y is
essen ial o supp essing high- empe a u e eac ions ha comp omise he s uc u al s abil-
i y o he diamond ein o cemen s. The e o e, he e ec i eness and uni o mi y o he TiC
coa ing a e key o main aining bo h he mechanical in eg i y and ibological pe o mance
o he composi e.
4. T ibological P ope ies
The me allic ma ices used in segmen s o s one-cu ing ools mus exhibi a low
coe icien o ic ion o help main ain ela i ely low ope a ing empe a u es du ing ool
use. This he mal managemen is c i ical o p e en ing he mal damage o bo h he ma ix
and he diamond pa icles. Howe e , unlike in con en ional wea - esis an applica ions,
minimal ma ix wea is no a p io i y in his con ex . On he con a y, a con olled wea
a e o he ma ix is desi able, as i acili a es he p og essi e exposu e o new diamond
cu ing edges. Addi ionally, e ec i e cohesion be ween he diamonds and he ma ix is
essen ial o ensu e he s abili y o he ab asi e elemen s du ing ope a ion.
The empe a u e dependence o he coe icien o ic ion was assessed using a ball-
on-disc ibological es , and he esul s a e p esen ed in Figu e 19. The da a e eal how
ic ional beha io a ies wi h empe a u e ac oss he di e en es ed ma e ials, p o id-
ing aluable insigh in o hei sui abili y o use in s one-cu ing ool applica ions. These
indings a e pa icula ly ele an gi en he ope a ional equi emen s o such ools, whe e
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 21 o 25
main aining a low coe icien o ic ion is essen ial o minimizing hea gene a ion and
ensu ing he mal s abili y du ing cu ing. The obse ed ends con ibu e o a be e unde -
s anding o he ibological pe o mance o he de eloped composi es unde condi ions
simula ing eal wo king en i onmen s.
Figu e 19. E olu ion o ic ion coe icien s du ing he ball-on-disc es ing a labo a o y empe a u e
and 300, 500, and 800 ◦C o (a) ASP60 alloy; (b) ASP60 + CuSn20 alloy.
As shown in Figu e 19a, he coe icien o ic ion o ASP60 high-speed s eel inc eases
wi h empe a u es up o 500
◦
C. This end can be a ibu ed o enhanced adhesi e in e -
ac ions be ween he sample su ace and he coun e -body (sliding ball), which become
mo e p onounced a ele a ed empe a u es. A 800
◦
C, howe e , he coe icien o ic ion
eaches i s lowes eco ded alue among all es ed empe a u es. This educ ion is likely
due o su ace so ening and he o ma ion o oxide laye s, which educe adhesion and
hus lowe he ic ional o ces du ing sliding.
Ano he signi ican ac o in luencing he ibological beha io a high empe a u es is
he mic os uc u al e olu ion o he ma e ial. ASP60 is known o unde go o e - empe ing
a empe a u es in he ange o 540–570
◦
C, leading o mic os uc u al coa sening. A 800
◦
C,
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 22 o 25
his e ec is likely exace ba ed, con ibu ing o a so ening o he wea ack. The con inuous
dec ease in he ic ion coe icien du ing es ing may also esul om p og essi e hea ing
o he con ac a ea, u he educing he esis ance o sliding.
A oom empe a u e (25
◦
C), he ic ion coe icien ini ially emains s able bu in-
c eases owa d he end o he es , sugges ing he b eakdown o hin su ace ilms o oxide
laye s. This phenomenon occu s mo e apidly a 300
◦
C, whe e he ele a ed empe a u e
accele a es ilm deg ada ion and inc eases adhesi e wea . In con as , a 500
◦
C, he ic ion
coe icien ises sha ply a he beginning o he es and emains nea ly cons an h oughou
he ibological cycle, indica ing he o ma ion o a s able, high- ic ion su ace laye due o
pe sis en adhesi e in e ac ions.
The inco po a ion o CuSn20 alloy in o he ASP60 high-speed s eel ma ix esul ed in a
consis en educ ion o he coe icien o ic ion ac oss all es ed empe a u es (Figu e 19b).
This e ec can be a ibu ed o he solid lub ican cha ac e is ics o CuSn20, which include
i s capaci y o o m oxide laye s ha educe adhesi e o ces a he con ac in e ace, as
well as i s inhe en esis ance o welding unde load. This ic ion- educing beha io
is pa icula ly ad an ageous, as i leads o lowe hea gene a ion du ing ibologically
demanding ope a ions, he eby enhancing he he mal s abili y o he cu ing ool sys em
and u he ex ending he o al li espan o diamond- ein o ced ools wi h he ASP60 ma ix.
T ibological es ing a 25
◦
C and 300
◦
C e ealed a g adual inc ease in he coe icien
o ic ion du ing he ini ial s ages, ollowed by s abiliza ion o he emainde o he es .
A 500
◦
C, a di e en end was obse ed: he coe icien o ic ion ini ially inc eased
bu hen dec eased, likely due o ea ly-s age o ma ion o p o ec i e oxide laye s o med
a e su icien sliding dis ance. A 800
◦
C, a no able educ ion in he ic ion coe icien
was eco ded. This beha io may be associa ed wi h he pa ial mel ing o he CuSn20
alloy, which unde goes a pe i ec ic eac ion a app oxima ely 798
◦
C. Localized ic ional
hea ing wi hin he wea ack may u he ele a e he empe a u e, inc easing he olume
ac ion o mol en CuSn20 and u he educing ic ion. I is impo an o no e ha such
ex eme empe a u es ep esen a ypical o c i ical ope a ing condi ions, as cu ing ools
a e ypically wa e -cooled in p ac ical applica ions.
In addi ion o he a o able ibological p ope ies, all es ed ma e ials exhibi ed a
ze o measu able wea a e unde he applied condi ions. This obse a ion aligns wi h he
well-es ablished epu a ion o ASP60 as a high-wea - esis ance ma e ial. Despi e some
isible changes in he wea ack—likely associa ed wi h he o ma ion o a plas ically
de o med su ace laye —no signi ican ma e ial loss could be de ec ed using p o ilome ic
analysis. This excep ional wea esis ance is a highly desi able p ope y o p olonging he
se ice li e o ools subjec ed o in ensi e mechanical and he mal loading.
In ligh o he p esen ed indings, he ibological pe o mance o he
ASP60 + CuSn20 + 20C
composi e—comp ising TiC-coa ed diamond g i s—was no
assessed using s anda d ball-on-disc es ing me hods. This decision was made on he basis
ha he inco po a ion o ex emely ha d diamond ein o cemen s would signi ican ly al e
he con ac mechanics, wi h he diamond pa icles ac ing as gliding bodies du ing sliding.
Such beha io would likely supp ess meaning ul in e ac ion be ween he coun e -body
and he me allic ma ix, he eby limi ing he ele ance and in e p e abili y o con en ional
ibological da a ob ained by he cu en es ing equipmen .
Ne e heless, he excep ionally low coe icien s o ic ion and he absence o measu -
able wea obse ed in he ASP60 + CuSn20 ma ix indica e ha he diamond- ein o ced
composi e possesses subs an ial po en ial o applica ions subjec ed o ex eme mechanical
and ibological s esses, while also main aining a o able he mal s abili y. The syne gis-
ic combina ion o supe io wea esis ance, minimal ic ional hea gene a ion, and he
in insic ha dness o diamond makes his ma e ial an excellen candida e o ad anced
Ma e ials 2025,18, 3999 23 o 25
cu ing ools, pa icula ly o low-speed sawing in qua y ope a ions and o he ab asi e
s one-p ocessing en i onmen s.
5. Conclusions
The p esen manusc ip documen s he success ul use o CuSn20 alloy o educe
dele e ious po osi y du ing he compac ion o ASP60 high-speed s eel ia uniaxial ho
p essing. The addi ion o CuSn20 no only educed po osi y, he eby imp o ing mechanical
p ope ies, bu also dec eased ic ion coe icien s ac oss he es ed empe a u e ange. This
e ec is p ima ily a ibu ed o he sel -lub ica ing capabili ies o CuSn20, which, upon
exceeding 800
◦
C, u he educed ic ion due o i s localized mel ing. Addi ionally, he
ASP60 alloy exhibi ed no measu able wea a e, mainly due o he de o ma ion-induced
ans o ma ion o e ained aus eni e in o ma ensi e, ein o ced by a ious ca bides, mak-
ing he ma e ial highly wea - esis an . Op imal compac ion condi ions we e iden i ied
a 1050
◦
C o 3 min, esul ing in a d ama ic po osi y educ ion o app oxima ely 3.7%,
as con i med by bo h A chimedes and dimensional analysis. Mechanical p ope ies, in-
cluding ha dness and bending s eng h, inc eased wi h compac ion empe a u e, eaching
hei maximum a he highes es ed empe a u e. Unde hese op imal condi ions, he
inco po a ion o TiC-coa ed diamond pa icles (c = 20) did no ad e sely a ec mechanical
p ope ies. Howe e , he compac ion p ocess, limi ed o a p essu e o 35 MPa, esul ed
in a he e ogeneous po e dis ibu ion, nega i ely impac ing o e all pe o mance. Ne e -
heless, he s udy demons a es ha CuSn20 e ec i ely educes po osi y by p omo ing
pa icle ea angemen and gap illing, while also enhancing he ibological pe o mance
o ASP60-based composi es. The composi ion o he de eloped ool ma e ials indica es
po en ially highe applica ion empe a u es (unde limi ed cooling condi ions) compa ed
o he cu en ly known comme cial ma ices, which can ope a e a empe a u es up o
abou 750 ◦C.
Au ho Con ibu ions: Concep ualiza ion, F.P., L.J., A.R. and J.K.; me hodology, F.P. and A.R.;
alida ion, F.P. and A.R.; o mal analysis, F.P., A.R., D.T., P.K. and J.P.; in es iga ion, F.P., M.K., H.T.,
D.T., P.K., I.V., F.R., J.R., R.D., K.S. and J.P.; esou ces, F.P. and L.J.; da a cu a ion, A.R. and I.V.;
w i ing—o iginal d a p epa a ion, F.P.; w i ing— e iew and edi ing, F.P., A.R., P.K., I.V., F.R., J.R.
and L.J.; isualiza ion, F.P. and I.V.; supe ision, F.P. and L.J.; p ojec adminis a ion, L.J.; unding
acquisi ion, F.P. and L.J. All au ho s ha e ead and ag eed o he published e sion o he manusc ip .
Funding: The au ho s wish o hank he inancial suppo p o ided by he p ojec Me-
chanical Enginee ing o Biological and Bio-Inspi ed Sys ems, unded unde p ojec no.
CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004634 by he Johannes Amos Comenius P og amme, call Excellen
Resea ch. The esea ch p ojec was also pa ially inanced by he “Excellence Ini ia i e—Resea ch
Uni e si y” p og am a he AGH Uni e si y o K akow.
Ins i u ional Re iew Boa d S a emen : No applicable.
In o med Consen S a emen : No applicable.
Da a A ailabili y S a emen : The o iginal con ibu ions p esen ed in his s udy a e included in he
a icle. Fu he inqui ies can be di ec ed o he co esponding au ho .
Con lic s o In e es : The au ho s decla e no con lic s o in e es .
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Disclaime /Publishe ’s No e: The s a emen s, opinions and da a con ained in all publica ions a e solely hose o he indi idual
au ho (s) and con ibu o (s) and no o MDPI and/o he edi o (s). MDPI and/o he edi o (s) disclaim esponsibili y o any inju y o
people o p ope y esul ing om any ideas, me hods, ins uc ions o p oduc s e e ed o in he con en .
