一种具有较高韧性和耐磨性的先进AL2O3基陶瓷已被开发为用于铁合金高速加工的刀具材料。双增韧机制产生了比传统陶瓷更高的可靠性。使用各种铁质工件进行的几次实验室和现场试验表明，刀具寿命提高了10倍之多。

AN ADVANCED AL2O3-BASED CERAMIC WITH RELATIVELY HIGH TOUGHNESS AND WEAR RESISTANCE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AS A CUTTING TOOL MATERIAL FOR HIGH-SPEED MACHINING OF FERROUS ALLOYS. A DUAL-TOUGHENING MECHANISM HAS YIELDED A SIGINIFANTLY HIGHER RELIABILITY THAN CONVENTIONAL CERAMICS. TOOL LIFE IMPROVEMENTS OF AS MUCH AS 10 TIMES HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN SEVERAL LABORATORY AND FIELD TESTS USING A VARIETY OF FERROUS WORKPIECES.