Diamond Tool (Paperback)

A diamond tool is a cutting tool with diamond grains fixed on the valid working parts of the tool via some kinds of bond materials or by some other special means. Diamonds should not be used for cutting steel or iron, as carbon will dissolve into the workpiece and lead to tool wear and work hardening. Three other materials are used for cutting steels where diamond would be used: Cubic boron nitride (cBN, the second hardest material known), aluminum oxide, and silicon nitride tooling may be used. For metal-bonded diamond tools, the bond is one of the prime factors when selecting which tool to use for cutting or grinding a specific material depending on how hard, or abrasive, the material is. The bond is what decides the rate at which the metallic powders wear down and expose new diamond crystals at the surface to maintain what would be considered a "sharp" edge. For example, when sawing hard materials, a diamond blade with a soft bond would be needed. This means the metallic powders in the segments (teeth) of the diamond blade wear fast enough to release old, dull crystals, exposing new diamond at the edges to continue cutting efficiently.