Inorganic technology lab

Inorganic technology has been over for a while so it's about time I show off all the cool things I got from there.

This is my glas cutter. Its central piece is an Al₂O₃ ceramic piece that was used for a 4-point bending strength experiment.

Its hardness is way above glass. That's why you can easily use it for scratching.

If you want more strength and you don't need quite as much hardness you move from ceramics to hardmetals.

This is a used indexable insert made of WC in a Co matrix. It's covered in TiN to give it a nice golden look (and maybe surface properties).

It can be used for steel machining. And to produce mystery swarfs.

Why is it purple? It's plain steel but it's covered in a thin oxide layer that developed in the process of turning. The color is because of interference (like in an oil puddle).

Are there any hardmetals in everyday life? Yes, a ball point pen ball is typically made of a hardmetal. This is the only way to get the right porosity.