Synthetic And Natural Diamond Is Widely Employed As A Cutting Tool In Ultra-Precision Machining

Owing to the high hardness and strong wear resistance of diamond, it is highly suitable to be a tool material. Therefore, synthetic and natural diamond is widely employed as a cutting tool in ultra-precision machining and nanoindentation [8]. In fact, the wear resistance of diamond cutting tool is largely determined by crystal facets and orientations. Hence, in the design and fabrication of diamond cutting tool, effectively utilizing the connatural anisotropy of diamond crystals can significantly enhance the tool’s wear resistance [9]. Furthermore, to enhance the quality of tool edges and cutting performance, optimizing the crystal orientation on the rake and flank faces of diamond cutting tools is a crucial step. This ensures that the tool, along the polishing direction (the “soft” direction), possesses the largest dynamic micro-tensile strength, proving highly advantageous for improving tool sharpness [10]. With special processing methods, diamond can be sharpened to the nanometer level and is capable of achieving a mirror. Single-crystal diamond tool are primarily used for machining non-ferrous metals. With the continuous development of industry, high hardness, and high toughness alloy materials have been used, posing significant challenges in machining. The actual production machining has been hindered by the ultra-precision machining of these materials. Researchers had to look for inexpensive and high performance synthetic diamond tool to replace natural single-crystal diamond tool due to its high cost [11]. In the 1970 s, polycrystalline diamond (PCD) was introduced and applied in the field of ultra-precision machining. Compared with traditional tools, PCD tool exhibits ultra-high hardness and wear resistance, promising a bright future in machining difficult-to-cut metals and alloys. Another kind of precision diamond tool market that has occupied a large share is HTHP diamond. Nowadays, HTHP diamond synthesis is rapidly moving towards industrial applications, which is inseparable from the excellent performance of the HTHP diamond tool.