# US 12,109,626 B2 · Coated cutting tool

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- Number: US 12,109,626 B2
- Document ID: US12109626B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/687,726
- Filed: 2022-03-07
- Published: 2022-10-20
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-04-12
- Assignees: Tungaloy Corporation
- Applicants: Tungaloy Corporation
- Inventors: Cangyu Fan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109626B2

## CPC

- B23B 27/148: {Composition of the cutting inserts}
- C04B 41/009: {characterised by the material treated}
- C04B 41/52: Multiple coating or impregnating {multiple coating or impregnating with the same composition or with compositions only differing in the concentration of the constituents, is classified as single coating or impregnation}
- C04B 41/89: for obtaining at least two superposed coatings having different compositions
- C23C 16/0272: {Deposition of sub-layers, e.g. to promote the adhesion of the main coating}
- C23C 16/36: Carbonitrides
- C23C 16/403: {of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium}
- C23C 28/042: {including a refractory ceramic layer, e.g. refractory metal oxides, ZrO2, rare earth oxides}
- C23C 28/044: {coatings specially adapted for cutting tools or wear applications}
- B23B 2224/04: Aluminium oxide
- B23B 2224/32: Titanium carbide nitride (TiCN)
- B23B 2228/105: with specified thickness
- B23C 5/16: characterised by physical features other than shape
- B23B: TURNING; BORING (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- B23C: MILLING (broaching B23D; broach-milling in making gears B23F; arrangement for copying or controlling B23Q)

## Abstract

A coated cutting tool, comprising: a substrate; and a coating layer formed on a surface of the substrate, wherein the coating layer includes a lower layer and an upper layer in this order from a substrate side toward a surface side, and the upper layer is formed on a surface of the lower layer, the lower layer contains a compound having a composition represented by (AlxTi1-x)N, an average thickness of the lower layer is 1.0 μm or more and 15.0 μm or less, the upper layer contains an α-Al2O3 layer containing α-Al2O3, an average thickness of the upper layer is 0.5 μm or more and 15.0 μm or less, and in grains of the α-Al2O3 layer, a proportion of grains of which a grain size is 0.05 μm or more and less than 0.5 μm is 50% by area or more and 80% by area or less.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A coated cutting tool, comprising:
a substrate; and
a coating layer formed on a surface of the substrate, wherein
the coating layer includes a lower layer and an upper layer in this order from a substrate side toward a surface side of the coating layer, and the upper layer is formed on a surface of the lower layer,
the lower layer contains a compound having a composition represented by Formula (1) below
(AlxTi1-x)N (1)
where, in Formula (1), x represents an atomic ratio of an Al element to a sum of the Al element and a Ti element, and 0.70≤x≤0.90 is satisfied,
an average thickness of the lower layer is 1.0 μm or more and 15.0 μm or less,
the upper layer contains an α-Al2O3 layer containing α-Al2O3,
an average thickness of the upper layer is 0.5 μm or more and 15.0 μm or less, and
in grains of the α-Al2O3 layer, a proportion of grains of which a grain size is 0.05 μm or more and less than 0.5 μm is 50% by area or more and 80% by area or less.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein in the grains of the cl-Al2O3 layer, a proportion of grains of which the grain size is 0.5 μm or more and less than 1.0 μm is 10% by area or more and 50% by area or less.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein in the grains of the α-Al2O3 layer, a proportion of grains of which the grain size is 1.0 μm or more and 3.0 μm or less is 0% by area or more and 10% by area or less.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein, in the upper layer, a proportion of length of a Σ3 grain boundary to 100% of a total length of all grain boundaries is 0% or more and 10% or less.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein an average thickness of the entire coating layer is 2.0 μm or more and 20.0 μm or less.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is any of a cemented carbide, a cermet, a ceramic, or a cubic boron nitride sintered body.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 2, wherein in the grains of the α-Al2O3 layer, a proportion of grains of which the grain size is 1.0 μm or more and 3.0 μm or less is 0% by area or more and 10% by area or less.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 2, wherein, in the upper layer, a proportion of length of a Σ3 grain boundary to 100% of a total length of all grain boundaries is 0% or more and 10% or less.

### Claim 9 (depends on 3)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 3, wherein, in the upper layer, a proportion of length of a Σ3 grain boundary to 100% of a total length of all grain boundaries is 0% or more and 10% or less.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 7, wherein, in the upper layer, a proportion of length of a Σ3 grain boundary to 100% of a total length of all grain boundaries is 0% or more and 10% or less.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 2, wherein an average thickness of the entire coating layer is 2.0 μm or more and 20.0 μm or less.

### Claim 12 (depends on 3)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 3, wherein an average thickness of the entire coating layer is 2.0 μm or more and 20.0 μm or less.

### Claim 13 (depends on 4)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 4, wherein an average thickness of the entire coating layer is 2.0 μm or more and 20.0 μm or less.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 7, wherein an average thickness of the entire coating layer is 2.0 μm or more and 20.0 μm or less.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 8, wherein an average thickness of the entire coating layer is 2.0 μm or more and 20.0 μm or less.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 9, wherein an average thickness of the entire coating layer is 2.0 μm or more and 20.0 μm or less.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 10, wherein an average thickness of the entire coating layer is 2.0 μm or more and 20.0 μm or less.

### Claim 18 (depends on 2)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is any of a cemented carbide, a cermet, a ceramic, or a cubic boron nitride sintered body.

### Claim 19 (depends on 3)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 3, wherein the substrate is any of a cemented carbide, a cermet, a ceramic, or a cubic boron nitride sintered body.

### Claim 20 (depends on 4)

The coated cutting tool according to claim 4, wherein the substrate is any of a cemented carbide, a cermet, a ceramic, or a cubic boron nitride sintered body.