OBRABOTKAMETALLOV Vol. 28 No. 3 2026 182 EQUIPMENT. INSTRUMENTS References 1. Celik O.N., Sert A., Gasan H., Ulutan M. Eff ect of cryogenic treatment on the microstructure and the wear behavior of WC–Co end mills for machining of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 2018, vol. 95 (5–8), p. 2989–2999. DOI: 10.1007/S00170-017-1444-1. 2. Li B., Zhang S., Zhang T., Zhang J. Eff ect of deep cryogenic treatment on microstructure, mechanical properties and machining performances of coated carbide tool. Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, 2019, vol. 41 (1). DOI: 10.1007/S40430-018-1533-6. 3. Xie C.H., Huang J.W., Tang Y.F., Gu L.N. Eff ects of deep cryogenic treatment on microstructure and properties of WC–11Co cemented carbides with various carbon contents. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, 2015, vol. 25 (9), pp. 3023–3028. DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(15)63929-2. Eff ect of deep cryogenic treatment duration on microstructure and tribological behaviour of WC-Co cutting tools Kirankumar Jagtap a, *, Ravindra Deshmukh b Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, MGM University, MGM Campus, N-6, CIDCO, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Maharashtra, 431003, India. a https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4088-3544, k23.jagtap@gmail.com; b https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5329-9981, rdeshmukh1@mgmu.ac.in Obrabotka metallov - Metal Working and Material Science Journal homepage: http://journals.nstu.ru/obrabotka_metallov Obrabotka metallov (tekhnologiya, oborudovanie, instrumenty) = Metal Working and Material Science. 2026 vol. 28 no. 3 pp. 167–184 ISSN: 1994-6309 (print) / 2541-819X (online) DOI: 10.17212/1994-6309-2026-28.3-167-184 ART I CLE I NFO Article history: Received: 15 June 2026 Revised: 29 June 2026 Accepted: 11 July 2026 Available online: 15 September 2026 Keywords: WC-Co cutting tools Deep cryogenic treatment Cryogenic soaking duration Tungsten carbide Tool wear Coeffi cient of friction Tribological performance SEM–EDS analysis Microstructural refi nement ABSTRACT Introduction. Titanium machining is diffi cult because of its low thermal conductivity, high chemical affi nity, and tendency to generate high cutting-zone temperatures, which accelerate tool wear and premature tool failure. WC-Co cutting tools are common to these applications; however, the degree of microstructural stability, the distribution and wear resistance of the cobalt binder play an important role in the performance. The eff ect of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) soaking time on the tribological properties and the microstructure of WC-Co end mill cutting tools is investigated in the present study. Materials and methods. WC-Co tools were examined under three conditions: untreated (UT), 24 h DCT, and 36 h DCT. The cryogenic treatment was carried out at −196°C with subsequent slow temperature increase and tempering at 150°C for 2 h. To assess tungsten carbide grain distribution, cobalt binder phase continuity and porosity, the microstructural characteristics were studied by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Tribological performance was evaluated using a Ducom tribometer in accordance with ASTM G133, with wear loss and coeffi cient of friction as the primary measurement parameters. Results and discussion. The 24 h DCT sample exhibited the most uniform and fi ne-grained WC structure, a more uniform distribution of the cobalt binder than the untreated sample, and lower porosity than the 36 h DCT sample. This microstructural enhancement led to the lowest COF of 0.33 and minimum wear loss of 0.138 g. The coeffi cient of friction for the untreated sample was 0.40, which was higher than that of the treated samples, while the wear loss for the untreated sample was 0.176 g. The 36 h DCT sample exhibited intermediate values of the coeffi cient of friction (0.37) and wear loss (0.157 g); thus, the benefi cial eff ect of cryogenic treatment may be lessened with prolonged soaking time because of the development of defects and microstructural non-uniformity. Conclusions. The 24 h DCT soaking time was determined to be the optimal condition to improve the microstructural stability, friction reduction, and wear resistance of WC-Co cutting tools. The results are helpful for determining the parameters for the cryogenic treatment of WC-Co cutting tools for use in diffi cult-to-machine materials like titanium. For citation: Jagtap K.R., Deshmukh R.R. Eff ect of deep cryogenic treatment duration on microstructure and tribological behaviour of WCCo cutting tools. Obrabotka metallov (tekhnologiya, oborudovanie, instrumenty) = Metal Working and Material Science, 2026, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 167–184. DOI: 10.17212/1994-6309-2026-28.3-167-184. (In Russian). ______ * Corresponding author Jagtap Kirankumar R., Ph.D. (Engineering), Associate Professor Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, MGM University, MGM Campus, N-6, CIDCO, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), 431003, Maharashtra, India Tel: +91-9175591931, e-mail: k23.jagtap@gmail.com
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