Research progress of binders for polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) and preparation technology

Polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) is widely used in cutting hardened steel, gray cast iron, titanium alloy and superalloy because of its high hardness and other good properties such as wear resistance, thermal conductivity, high temperature stability and chemical stability. In this paper, the research and application of binders for PCBN are summarized. The bonding mechanism, advantages and disadvantages of three types of binders, namely metal/ceramic single-phase binder, metal-ceramic composite binder and new Ti₃SiC₂binder with its analogues, are introduced respectively. The preparation process and unique properties of Ti₃SiC₂binder and its analogues are emphatically introduced, the problems in whose preparation are also discussed.