Title: Material removal analysis in the radial-mode abrasive waterjet turning of ceramic materials

Authors: Zhongbo Yue; Chuanzhen Huang; Hongtao Zhu; Peng Yao; Zengwen Liu

Addresses: Center for Advanced Jet Engineering Technologies (CaJET), Key Laboratory of High-efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture (Ministry of Education), School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China ' Center for Advanced Jet Engineering Technologies (CaJET), Key Laboratory of High-efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture (Ministry of Education), School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China ' Center for Advanced Jet Engineering Technologies (CaJET), Key Laboratory of High-efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture (Ministry of Education), School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China ' Center for Advanced Jet Engineering Technologies (CaJET), Key Laboratory of High-efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture (Ministry of Education), School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China ' Center for Advanced Jet Engineering Technologies (CaJET), Key Laboratory of High-efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture (Ministry of Education), School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China

Abstract: An experimental investigation on the radial-mode abrasive waterjet turning (AWJT) of ceramic materials, with particular attention to 96% alumina and 95% zirconia ceramics, is presented and discussed. The results show that similar tendencies exist in the dependence of material removal rate (MRR) on water pressure and abrasive mass flow rate, as well as the dependence of the turning depth on jet feed speed when turning different ceramic materials using abrasive waterjet (AWJ). The properties of the target material have a great impact on the material removal mechanism and MRR. The MRR of 96% alumina is considerably larger than that of 95% zirconia ceramics. Microscopic analysis of the eroded surface after turning reveals that the material removal mechanism of 96% alumina mainly involves brittle facture damages featured by intergranular cracks and fragmentation, while for 95% zirconia the erosive process is primarily characterised by plastic deformation accompanied with some pits.

Keywords: material removal rate; MRR; abrasive waterjet turning; AWJT; ceramics; material removal mechanism; ceramic materials; alumina; zirconia; water pressure; abrasive mass flow rate; turning depth; jet feed speed; brittle facture; intergranular cracks; fragmentation; plastic deformation; pits.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAT.2014.065830

International Journal of Abrasive Technology, 2014 Vol.6 No.4, pp.298 - 313

Received: 14 Oct 2013
Accepted: 01 Apr 2014

Published online: 28 Nov 2014 *

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