FDMS-fabricated ultrathin diamond dicing blades with ultrafine Fe powder

Cobalt-assisted matrices are widely used in diamond tools due to their excellent bonding ability, but environmental and cost concerns have driven the search for sustainable Fe-assisted alternatives. In this study, Fe-assisted diamond dicing blades were fabricated via the Fused Deposition Modeling and Sintering (FDMS) process using hydrogen-reduced ultrafine Fe powders to evaluate their potential as Co-free alternatives. The specimen containing 30 wt% ultrafine Fe powder (2000 mesh) exhibited the optimal comprehensive properties, with a density of 98.30 %, flexural strength of 1867.88 MPa, hardness of HRB 107.8, and diamond retention coefficient of 85.01 %. When cutting quartz workpieces, the optimal feed rate reached 2.1 mm·s⁻¹ , and the radial wear after 2 m of cutting was only 0.038 mm, indicating superior sharpness and durability. These results clarify the critical roles of Fe mass fraction and particle size in governing the microstructure, densification behavior, and cutting performance of the composites, providing a practical, low-temperature, and cost-effective Co-free strategy for fabricating high-performance ultrathin diamond dicing blades via the FDMS process. • Reveals the effects of ultrafine Fe powder size and content on microstructure, densification, and mechanical properties of FDMS diamond blades. • Demonstrates that a 30 wt.% 2000 mesh Fe / 70 wt.% CuSn15 matrix provides optimal density, strength, hardness, and diamond retention. • Shows that Fe-assisted FDMS diamond blades achieve cutting performance comparable to Co-assisted blades. • Provides a sustainable, low-temperature, and cost-effective FDMS strategy for manufacturing high-performance diamond dicing blades.