
Tetrabond™ coating
Enhanced arc technology for machining non ferrous materials

Tetrabond™ coatings
The primary application of Tetrabond™ coatings is the surface treatment of cutting tools for machining non ferrous materials. Tetrabond™ has demonstrated excellent performance in machining aluminum, graphite, copper, FR4 PCB board and composite materials as well as wood, plastics, epoxies and certain grades of titanium. Ionbond has developed a safe de-coating process which allows for reconditioning and re-coating of expensive tools.
Cutting Tools coated with Tetrabond™ Plus

What kind of technology is Tetrabond™?
Tetrabond™ is an enhanced arc technology based on the Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) process. The proprietary arc process has been developed by Ionbond and allows deposition of extremely hard, very smooth, hydrogen-free diamond like carbon (DLC) films. Tetrabond™ coatings are deposited at a temperature below 150 °C with a typical thickness range of 0.4 – 1.5 µm. Tetrabond™ coatings have a very high sp3 ratio, ranging from 80 to 90%. The sp3 bonding is typical of natural diamond. Studies have shown that sp3 fractions are directly related to film hardness. Measurements revealed a hardness in the range of 70 to 90 GPa, which is similar to that of CVD diamond film. Furthermore also the abrasion resistance is comparable to CVD.