This paper presents a comprehensive study of two tool materials designed for the machining of Inconel 718 superalloy, produced through two distinct sintering techniques: High Pressure–High Temperature (HPHT) sintering and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). The first composite (marked as BNT), composed of 65 vol% cubic boron nitride (cBN), was sintered from the cBN–TiN–Ti₃SiC₂ system using the HPHT technique at a pressure of 7.7 GPa. The second composite (marked as AZW) was fabricated from the Al₂O₃–ZrO₂–WC system using SPS at a pressure of 63 MPa. The final phase composition of BNT material differed significantly from the initial composition due to reactions occurred during sintering. In contrast, the phase composition of the AZW ceramic composite before and after sintering was similar. The materials exhibited high quality, as evidenced by a Young’s modulus of 580 GPa for BNT and 470 GPa for AZW, along with hardness of 26 GPa for BNT and 21 GPa for AZW. Both composites were used to prepare cutting inserts that were evaluated for their performance in machining Inconel 718 alloy. While both inserts showed durability comparable to their respective reference commercial inserts, they differed in performance and price relative to one another.

Crack growth resistance of ZrO2-(3-8) mol% Y2O3 ceramics was investigated. Young's modulus by the ultrasonic flaw detection method were determined. Vickers hardness and parameters of cracks after Vickers indentation were obtained. Based on the Young's modulus values, Vickers hardness, and parameters of cracks, the fracture toughness of the investigated ceramics was calculated using 9 different equations of the Vickers indentation method. A comparative analysis of the calculated fracture toughness values with those obtained by the single-edge notch beam method was carried out. It was found that choosing the optimal equation for calculating fracture toughness by the Vickers indentation method is quite difficult and requires comparison with the results of standardized tests. It was shown that to determine crack resistance characteristics of the yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramics, the use of only the Vickers indentation method without comparison with other methods of fracture mechanics is incorrect.

Fracture toughness of ZrO2–3 mol.% Y2O3 ceramics produced by the spark plasma sintering (SPS) at temperatures of 1150–1350°C was studied. The fracture toughness of the ceramics was determined by the Vickers indentation method, Young’s modulus, micro­hardness, and linear crack dimensions. A comparative analysis of the calculated fracture toughness values with those obtained by the method of three-point bending of a single-edge notch beam (SENB method) was carried out. It was found that sintering at 1200°C provided the highest fracture toughness KIC of the ceramics. Because of the differences in the microstructure of ceramics produced by SPS and conventional sintering methods, it is recommended to use traditional methods of fracture mechanics along with the indentation method to correctly determine the fracture toughness of ceramics.