The study is devoted to the development and testing of technological principles for the manufacture of solid end mills from ceramics based on a powder composition of α-SiAlON, β-SiAlON, and TiN additives, including spark plasma sintering powder composition, diamond sharpening of sintered ceramic blanks for shaping the cutting part of mills and deposition of anti-friction Si-containing diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings in the final stage. A rational relationship between the components of the powder composition at spark plasma sintering was established. The influence of optimum temperature, which is the most critical sintering parameter, on ceramic samples’ basic physical and mechanical properties was investigated. DLC coatings’ role in changing the surface properties of ceramics based on SiAlON, such as microrelief, friction coefficient, et cetera, was studied. A comparative analysis of the efficiency of two tool options, such as developed samples of experimental mills made of SiAlON/TiN and commercial samples ceramic mills based on SiAlON, doped with stabilizing additives containing Yb when processing nickel alloys (NiCr20TiAl alloy was used as an example). DLC coatings’ contribution to the quantitative indicators of the durability of ceramic mills and the surface quality of machined products made of nickel alloy is shown.

Problems with the laser additive manufacturing of metal parts related to its low efficiency are known to hamper its development and application. The method of selective laser melting of metallic powders can be improved by the installation of an additional laser beam modulator. This allows one to control the power density distribution optically in the laser beam, which can influence the character of heat and mass transfer in a molten pool during processing. The modulator contributes alternative modes of laser beam: Gaussian, flat top (top hat), and donut (bagel). The study of its influence includes a mathematical description and theoretical characterization of the modes, high-speed video monitoring and optical diagnostics, characterization of processing and the physical phenomena of selective laser melting, geometric characterization of single tracks, optical microscopy, and a discussion of the obtained dependences of the main selective laser melting (SLM) parameters and the field of its optimization. The single tracks were produced using the advanced technique of porosity lowering. The parameters of the obtained samples are presented in the form of 3D graphs. The further outlook and advanced applications are discussed.

For mechanical machining the quality of cutting-tool materials is one of the most significant issues that need to be addressed. Enhancement of cutting tool performance may be achieved through the use of modern composition ceramic cutting tools This may be enabled through surface treatment, and also hot pressing and spark plasma sintering – the two main processes used for manufacturing such tools. In this article the advantages and disadvantages of the technologies and processes involved are analyzed and compared to identify the most appropriate methods for creating ceramic cutting-tools. In parallel the latest improvements in ceramic cutting-tool materials are reviewed. The paper shows that the choice of ceramic cutting tools is a quite complex process with a number of important factors to be taken into account.

The work is devoted to the research of the changes that occur in the subsurface layer of the workpiece during electrical discharge machining of conductive nanocomposite based on alumina with the use of a brass tool. The nanocomposite of Al₂O₃ + 30% of TiC was electroerosively machined in a water and hydrocarbon oil. The process of electrical discharge machining is accompanied by oscillations that were registered by diagnostic means. The obtained surface of the samples was researched by the means of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The observed surface and subsurface changes provide grounding for the conclusions on the nature of processes and reactions that occur between two electrodes and nanomodification of the obtained surfaces that can be an advantage for a series of applications.

One of the promising processing methods for non-conductive structural and functional ceramics based on ZrO₂, Al₂O₃, and Si₃N₄ systems is electrical discharge machining with the assistance of an auxiliary electrode that can be presented in the form of conductive films with a thickness up to 4–10 µm or nanoparticles - granules, tubes, platelets, multidimensional particles added in the working zone as a free poured powder the proper concentration of which can be provided by ultrasound emission or by dielectric flows or as conductive additives in the structure of nanocomposites. However, the described experimental approaches did not reach the production market and industry. It is related mostly to the chaotic development of the knowledge and non-systematized data in the field when researchers often cannot ground their choice of the material for auxiliary electrodes, assisting powders, or nano additives or they cannot explain the nature of processes that were observed in the working tank during experiments when their results are not correlated to the measured specific electrical conductivity of the electrodes, particles, ceramic workpieces or nanocomposites but depends on something else. The proposed review includes data on the main electrophysical and chemical properties of the components in the presence of heat when the temperature in the interelectrode gap reaches 10,000 °C, and the systematization of data on ceramic pressing methods, including spark plasma sintering, the chemical reactions that occur in the interelectrode gap during sublimation of primary (brass and copper) and auxiliary electrodes made of transition metals Ti, Cr, Co, and carbon, auxiliary electrodes made of metals with low melting point Zn, Ag, Au, Al, assisting powder of oxide ceramics TiO₂, CeO₂, SnO₂, ITO, conductive additives Cu, W, TiC, WC, and components of Al₂O₃ and Zr₂O workpieces in interaction with the dielectric fluid - water and oil/kerosene medium.

This work is devoted to researching the tool electrode behavior and wear under discharge pulses at electrical discharge machining. The experiments were conducted on the workpieces of 12Kh18N10T (AISI 321) chrome-nickel anti-corrosion steel and D16 (AA 2024) duralumin by a 0.25-mm-diameter CuZn35 brass tool in a deionized water medium. The developed diagnostic and monitoring mean based on acoustic emission registered the oscillations accompanying machining at 4–8 kHz. The obtained workpiece and non-profiled tool surfaces were investigated by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Calculated volumetric and mass removal rates showed the difference in the character of wear at roughing and finishing. It was shown that interaction between material components in anti-corrosion steel machining had an explosive character between Zn of brass and Ni of steel at a micron level and formed multiple craters of 30–100 µm. The secondary structure and topology of worn tool surfaces were caused by material sublimation, chemical interaction between material components at high heat (10,000 °C), explosive deposition of the secondary structure. Acoustic diagnostics adequately registered the character of interaction. The observed phenomena at the submicron level and microstructure of the obtained surfaces provide grounding on the nature of material interactions and electrical erosion wear fundamentals.