Title: Investigation into white layer formed on wire electrical discharge machined Ti6Al4V surface

Authors: J. Vinodh Jose, M.S. Shunmugam

Addresses: Manufacturing Engineering Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036, India. ' Manufacturing Engineering Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036, India

Abstract: Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) is widely used for machining a variety of materials including titanium alloys and intricate shapes that are used in aerospace, automotive and bio-medical applications. High temperatures generated during this thermal process affect the workpiece surface and subsurface. White layer, a resolidified layer formed, reduces the quality of the surface and life of the component. Researchers and practitioners are always interested in the white layer formation and its nature. In the present work, investigations have been carried out on the white layer formed on Ti6Al4V surface while machining by WEDM process and the parameters that influence the white layer formation are brought out by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selective area electron diffraction (SAED), energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) and nanoindentation studies are carried out and the results are discussed.

Keywords: titanium alloys; wire EDM; electrical discharge machining; WEDM; white layer formation; metallurgical studies; surface finish; surface quality; ANOVA; nanoindentation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMM.2009.027326

International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials, 2009 Vol.6 No.3/4, pp.234 - 249

Published online: 20 Jul 2009 *

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