Effect of aluminium and silver addition on the wear characteristics of circular diamond saw blades for cutting Ankara andesite rocks

Andesite rock has a vesicular and amygdaloidal texture. The cutting process of this rock is complicated because of the highly abrasive and at the same time highly porous structure of the rock. Circular diamond saw blades are widely used for cutting andesite rock and the cutting performances of these saw blades are affected by various factors, especially matrix composition. This study examined the addition of silver (Ag) and aluminium (Al) to the matrix of the segment with Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), Tin (Sn) and Tungsten (W) content in order to obtain adequate wear properties of circular diamond saw blade for cutting andesite rocks. Microstructural, physical and mechanical characterization was performed by SEM-EDS, XRD, density measurements, hardness measurements, compression tests and wear tests. The cutting performance of the samples was evaluated by on-site field tests on an industrial scale in Ankara, Turkey. It was found that the mechanical properties of the samples were enhanced with the addition of Ag and Al due to the decreasing in porosity, the solid lubricating layer formed on the surface and the Al13Co4 intermetallic phase formed in the structure. On-site field tests revealed that the matrix composition with the addition of Ag and Al is more suitable for cutting andesite rocks with high cutting speed, high wear resistance, and high service life.