Constrained Abrasive Jet Polishing with a Tangentially Aligned Nozzle Shroud

In order to improve surface polishing quality and efficiency for hard and brittle components, a novel nozzle with specifically designed shroud was proposed for an abrasive jet polishing process. The removal mechanism of the abrasive jet under such a nozzle was investigated by simulating the jet flow in the interaction area of the nozzle shroud and workpiece. The simulation results show that the speed of the abrasive jet increases greatly by the shroud and the direction of the jet is aligned near parallel to the workpiece surface to minimize impact damage to workpiece surface. The constrained abrasive jet polishing (CAJP) experiments were conducted on the quartz glass component, a typical hard and brittle material, showing that the material removal mainly relied on the shearing and scratching of the workpiece surface rather than the mechanical shock impacts, which is consistent with the simulation findings.

Investigation on bolt initial tensioning of inner-diameter saw blade

Inner-diameter slicing based on a thin inner-diameter saw blade is one of the main hard and brittle material slicing methods. The inner-diameter saw blade needs to be tensioned for increasing its slicing stiffness and stability before working, and the tensioning quality affects the performance of subsequent material slicing directly and severely. In this paper, through finite element theoretical simulation and specialized experimental testing, the tensioning operation schemes are investigated systematically in the view of tensioning state and quality of the inner-diameter saw blade. By including mechanical equipment and electrical instruments, a specialized automatic experiment system is designed and manufactured with control and measurement function. Effects of bolts pre-tightening force, tightening sequence and rounds, and tensioning amount on the inner-diameter saw blade cutting-edge unevenness, lateral thrust stiffness, and transversal vibration response are investigated by theoretical simulation and experimental observation. A guideline on the optimization and improvement of initial tensioning is proposed for the inner-diameter saw blade practical engineering production.

In Situ Formation of TiB2 in Fe-B System with Titanium Addition and Its Influence on Phase Composition, Sintering Process and Mechanical Properties

Interaction of iron and boron at elevated temperatures results in the formation of an E (Fe + Fe2B) eutectic phase that plays a great role in enhancing mass transport phenomena during thermal annealing and therefore in the densification of sintered compacts. When cooled down, this phase solidifies as interconnected hard and brittle material consisting of a continuous network of Fe2B borides formed at the grain boundaries. To increase ductile behaviour, a change in precipitates’ stoichiometry was investigated by partially replacing iron borides by titanium borides. The powder of elemental titanium was introduced to blend of iron and boron powders in order to induce TiB2 in situ formation. Titanium addition influence on microstructure, phase composition, density and mechanical properties was investigated. The observations were supported with thermodynamic calculations. The change in phase composition was analysed by means of dilatometry and X-ray diffraction (XRD) coupled with thermodynamic calculations.

Hybrid Non Conventional Machining of Glass - A Review

Glass, being considered as hard and brittle material is very difficult to machine into desired shapes. The readily available conventional machining process does not provide good surface finish thus requires additional machining process. This paper reviews the different existing non conventional machining process accessible till today for the machining of glass materials. This paper also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the existing non conventional machining processes. The various hybrid non conventional machining processes are also studied with focus on machining output characteristics like MRR, surface finish, tool wear rate. This paper summarizes the selection of hybrid non conventional machining processes for the various type of glass.

Subsurface Damage Detection on Ground Silicon Wafers Using Polarized Laser Scattering

A silicon wafer is important for the electronic and computer industries. However, subsurface damage (SSD), which is detrimental to the performance and lifetime of a silicon chip, is easily induced in a silicon wafer during a grinding process since silicon is typically a hard and brittle material. Therefore, it is necessary to detect and remove SSD in the subsequent processes. In this study, a polarized laser scattering (PLS) system is installed to detect the SSD in a ground wafer. It is found that not only the subsurface crack but also the residual stress leads to depolarization of an incident light. The effects of residual stress on depolarization are studied. The residual stress results in the photoelasticity, which causes the depolarization of the incident light in the PLS system. The depolarization caused by the residual stress is determined by the directions and the difference of the principal stresses. When the polarization direction of the incident light is aligned with one of the principal stresses, the effects of the residual stress can be minimized; therefore, the subsurface crack can be quantitatively estimated by PLS.

Ultrasonic vibration-assisted microgrinding of glassy carbon

Glassy carbon is an amorphous material which, due to its unique material properties, has recently been introduced to micro/nanoimprinting as mold substrates. However, since glassy carbon is a hard, brittle, and highly elastic material, the precision machining of micro/nanostructures on it remains a challenging task. In this research, ultrasonic vibration-assisted microgrinding was proposed for ductile machining of glassy carbon. To find suitable conditions, the effects of ultrasonic vibration assistance and tool inclination were investigated. The results showed that by utilizing ultrasonic vibration assistance and tool inclination, a ductile response was achieved with improved surface roughness. In addition, the periodical waviness of the groove edge due to material elastic recovery was successfully prevented. This study provided an insight into the kinematics in ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding of a highly elastic, hard, and brittle material.

A Study on Ultra-Hard AlMgB14 Modified by TiB2 and Ni3Al

AlMgB14 is a very hard and brittle material which need be modified for utilizing as cutting tool materials. In present study, TiB2 and Ni3Al were used to strengthen and toughen AlMgB14 material. The microstructure of the AlMgB14-TiB2-Ni3Al composites was analysized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and an X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The hardness and fracture toughness of the AlMgB14-TiB2Ni3Al composites were also examined. The results showed that the major phases in AlMgB14-Ni3Al composites were TiB2, AlMgB14, MgAl2O4 , Ni3Al and NiAl. With the increasing of the amount of Ni3Al, more intergranular fractured features can be found in the fractured surface of the composites, the hardness and fracture toughness of the composites were both decreased comparing to the synthesised AlMgB14. The AlMgB14-TiB2-4wt.% Ni3Al composite has a hardness of 28.1 Gpa and a fracture toughness of 3.14 MPa·m1/2.