Abstract: The wear mechanisms of the Al₂O₃/TiCN coating carbide cutting tool were investigated by sliding friction and high-speed turning experiments. The experimental environment was in air with dry conditions. The results indicate that the friction coefficient decreased with the increase of sliding speed, and the highest friction coefficient was obtained at F_N=10 N. As the load and sliding speed increased, the wear rate tended to decrease. During the dry sliding wear process, a scale-like adhesion layer was presented on the coated tool surface, which was contributed by the high friction force and friction heat. Moreover, the amount of the adhesion metal material increased with the sliding speed and load. During the high-speed dry turning process, the wear-resistant oxides formed near the tool nose on the rake face, which improved the tool wear resistance. However, on the flank face, it was easy to form a small amount of iron oxide which deteriorated the tool wear. On the tool surface, the secondary adhesion layer or oxide film (e.g. TiO₂, SiO₂) was lubricious, which was in favor of improving the wear resistance of the coated tool. The results were expected to play an active role in guiding the high-efficiency and high quality machining of high-strength steel materials.