The influence of grain geometry and wear conditions on the material removal mechanism in silicon carbide grinding with single grain

High efficiency and precision grinding of brittle materials is challenging due to material physical and chemical properties. To understand the effect of grain geometry and wear conditions on the material removal mechanism in brittle material precision grinding, a single diamond grain grinding experiment was conducted on Silicon Carbide (SiC). The cutting edge radius and deflection angle were measured by confocal scanning. Under six different cutting edge radius and three maximum undeformed chip thickness, grinding force and ground surface were measured. Diamond grain wear was investigated by observing the grain morphology, wear rate, grinding force, and ground surface change over accumulative material removal volume. The result showed the existence of a critical cutting edge radius for improving SiC ground surface quality.. Normal grinding force increased with the cutting edge radius increase. Tangential grinding force increased with the cutting edge radius increase and reached the peak value at the critical cutting edge radius. Flank wear was the major wear mode in precision SiC grinding. The grain wear was associated with the grinding force and ground surface.     

Study of material removal mechanisms in grinding of C/SiC composites via single-abrasive scratch tests

As one of the ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix (C/SiC) composites are promising materials used in various engineering applications owing to their superior properties. Precision surface grinding has been widely applied in the machining of CMC composites; however, the material removal mechanisms of C/SiC composites have not been fully elucidated yet. To reveal the material removal mechanisms in the grinding of chemical vapor infiltration-fabricated C/SiC composites, novel single-abrasive scratch tests were designed and conducted in two typical cutting directions. The experimental parameters, especially the cutting speed, conformed to the actual grinding process. The results show that the grinding parameters (feed rate, spindle speed, depth of cut, and cutting direction) have significant influences on the grinding forces, surface integrity, and affected subsurface region. The tangential force is in general larger than the normal force at the same cutting depth. Furthermore, both the tangential and normal forces in the longitudinal cutting direction are larger than those in the transverse cutting direction. The impacts and abrasive actions at the tool tip mainly caused the material removal. The predominant material removal mode is brittle fracture in the grinding of unidirectional C/SiC composites, because the damage behaviors of the C/SiC composites are mainly the syntheses of matrix cracking, fiber breakage, and fiber/matrix interfacial debonding. These results are rationalized based on the composite properties and microstructural damage features.     

Smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation and experimental analysis of SiC ceramic grinding mechanism

Crack induced surface/subsurface damage in SiC ceramic grinding limits the industrial application. A single-grain scratching simulation based on the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) has been used to analyze the SiC grinding mechanism, including the material removal process, scratching speed effect on crack propagation, ground surface roughness, and scratching force. The simulation results showed that the material removal process went through the pure ductile mode, brittle assisted ductile mode, and brittle mode with the increase of the depth of cut. The critical depth of cut for ductile-brittle transition was about 0.35?µm based on the change of ground surface crack condition, surface roughness, and maximum scratching force. Increasing the scratching speed promoted the transformation of deep and narrow longitudinal crack in the subsurface into the shallow and wide transverse crack on the surface, which improved the surface quality. The SPH simulation results were indirectly validated by the cylindrical grinding experiments in terms of the critical single grain depth of cut for ductile-brittle transition, and the trend of ground surface roughness and grinding forces.     

Microstructure,interfacial characteristics,and wear performances of Cu–Fe–SiC cermet composites

The Cu–Fe metal-based ceramic grinding wheel material with SiC as abrasive was prepared by the powder metallurgy process of ball milling and hot pressing sintering. Cu–Fe–SiC cermets with Cu:Fe mass ratios of 4:1, 1:1, and 1:4 were designed by changing the composition of metal binder. The phase composition, microstructure, mechanical properties, and grinding properties of Cu–Fe–SiC cermets were systematically studied. The effect of Cu–Fe binder ratio on the microstructure and properties of cermets was analyzed. The results show that with the increase of Fe content, the density and hardness of cermets increase gradually, indicating that the mechanical properties are improved. Because the Fe in the adhesive can react with the abrasive SiC to form the reaction bonding interface, the Cu–80Fe–SiC cermets with higher Fe content have better adherence. The grinding test results of Cu–80Fe–SiC cermet show that the friction coefficient is .341, the surface roughness is 6.64 μm, the residual stresses parallel to the grinding direction are 353.3 MPa, and the residual stresses perpendicular to the grinding direction are 140.9 MPa. With the increase of Fe content, the wear mechanism changes from ploughing and cutting to friction.     

Grinding characteristics and removal mechanisms of unidirectional carbon fibre reinforced silicon carbide ceramic matrix composites

The grinding performance of unidirectional carbon fibre reinforced silicon carbide ceramic matrix composites (C_f/SiC) was investigated in this paper. The effects of the fibre orientation and grinding depth on the surface integrity and grinding forces and an understanding of the grinding mechanisms are the primary concerns of this article. This problem is relatively unexplored; therefore, the main value of this research is to improve the processing quality and reduce the production cost. In the C_f/SiC grinding procedure, cracks, fibre wear, interfacial debonding, fibre pull-out and outcrop can be detected on the ground surface. The grinding depth and deflection angle have been shown to have a notable influence on the surface quality in different datum planes. A suitable grinding depth and deflection angle should be carefully chosen to achieve good surface quality in different machined surfaces. Specifically, the surface quality decreases and the grinding forces increase with increasing grinding depth. In addition, greater grinding surface quality is observed at β?=?90°, i.e., γ?=?0°, but poorer machined surfaces are obtained at α?=?0°, i.e., γ?=?90°. The surface topography, roughness and grinding forces of unidirectional C_f/SiC could be forecasted according to the analysis conclusions. This research is expected to offer guidelines for increasing the machining quality of C_f/SiC.     

Material removal mechanism and grinding force modelling of ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding for SiC ceramics

In this paper, a varied-depth nano-scratch test of single grain is carried out on a nano indentation system. The critical depth of the elastic-plastic transition for SiC ceramics is 7.27 nm, as calculated by Hertz contact theory, and the critical depth of the brittle-to-ductile transition is 76.304 nm, as measured by AFM and SEM. Based on the varied-depth nano scratch test and the grain trajectory of ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding (UVAG), a theoretical model of the normal grinding force is acquired using the material removal in unit time as a bridge. The single factor experiment illustrates that the grinding force increases with the increase of the grinding depth, feed rate, and amplitude, while it decreases with the increase of the spindle speed. The contrast experiment results show that UVAG is beneficial for improving the surface quality and reducing the subsurface damage depth compared with common grinding (CG). A four-level and four-factor orthogonal experiment is designed, on the basis of which theoretical model of the normal grinding force for SiC ceramics is obtained using genetic algorithm. The tangential grinding force is obtained from the normal grinding force using the least square method. The experimental results show that the theoretical model is reliable.     

Ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding of silicon carbide ceramics based on actual amplitude measurement: Grinding force and surface quality

The actual vibration amplitude (AVA) during ultrasonic vibration-assisted face grinding (UVAFG) is an essential parameter that affects grinding force and surface quality. However, an effective method for the real-time measurement of AVA during grinding remains unavailable, hindering research on UVAFG. In this study, an experimental setup for measuring AVA is firstly established using an eddy current sensor. Ultrasonic amplitude curves under the condition of tool rotation without load are measured and analysed. Then, amplitude attenuation with different grinding forces is evaluated during the UVAFG of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics. The influences of AVA on grinding force and surface quality are investigated through comparative experiments of the UVAFG and conventional grinding (CG) of SiC ceramics. Finally, experimental results indicate that AVA exhibits a negative correlation with grinding force. Compared with CG, UAVFG has lower grinding force when grinding SiC ceramics. AVA is the key factor that affects surface roughness during UVAFG, the AVA of UVAFG is less than 4.3 μm; thus, surface roughness during UAVFG will be less than that during CG. Moreover, vibration can reduce the scratches made by the tools on the grinding surface.     

Etching of SiC–SiC-composites by a laser-induced plasma in a reactive gas

The precise machining of silicon carbide composite (SiC–SiC) as a high-tech material with extraordinary characteristics is required for different applications in aerospace, light weight construction and car industry. Laser machining enable new approaches for fabrication processes but the regularly applied ablation processes can cause damage to the SiC–SiC material. Here we propose and demonstrate a new approach for gentle SiC–SiC machining making use of a laser-induced plasma for reactive species generation enabling chemical material removal processes. A fs-laser (775 nm, 150 fs, 1 kHz) was focussed to a CF₄/O₂ gas mixture igniting a laser-induced plasma (LIP) approximately 100 μm in front of a SiC–SiC sample. This LIP initiate material removal processes of the textured, multiphase SiC–SiC sample without a mechanical damage of the SiC–SiC composite structure. Different surface features such as etching of the cover SiC layer, etching of the SiC matrix and exposure, thinning and sharpen of the SiC fibres, underetching of the fibres has been observed. Across the whole etched area, no mechanical damage such as cracks, delamination's, broken fibres were observed so that a gentle machining process can be expected.     

Enhancing ductile removal of Cf/SiC composites during abrasive belt grinding using low-hardness rubber contact wheels

C_f/SiC composites are used as advanced thermal protection and friction materials. However, machining these materials is difficult because of their hard, brittle, anisotropic, and heterogeneous characteristics. This study investigated the removal behavior and surface integrity of C_f/SiC composites during abrasive belt grinding using rubber contact wheels of various hardness. Additionally, detailed analysis was performed on their thermal-mechanical coupling characteristics, surface integrity (that is, surface roughness, surface micro morphology, and subsurface damages), and the grinding chips produced. Results revealed that with decreasing hardness of the contact wheel, the surface roughness in all directions, grinding force, and temperature decreased significantly. Moreover, the surface removal morphology of the C_f/SiC composites changed from macro-fracture to micro-fracture, and the subsurface morphology changed from SiC matrix cracking and carbon fibers pull-out to matrix plastic flow and fiber micro-fracture, respectively. Furthermore, strip chips with plastically squeezed and cut surfaces were visible in the grinding chips obtained under the 40-HA contact wheel. Therefore, the ductile removal behavior of the C_f/SiC composites was enhanced, and the surface quality in abrasive belt grinding with low-hardness contact wheels was markedly improved.     

Ultrasonic vibration mill-grinding of single-crystal silicon carbide for pressure sensor diaphragms

Single-crystal silicon carbide (SiC) has gained tremendous attention for harsh-environment sensor applications due to its high-temperature tolerance and chemical resistance. However, there are many technological challenges in the fabrication of single-crystal SiC sensing microstructures such as thin SiC diaphragms for pressure sensors. This paper presents an ultrasonic vibration mill-grinding (UVMG) technique for the fabrication of 6H-SiC sensor diaphragms. The fundamental machining characteristics of UVMG are investigated experimentally compared with conventional mill-grinding (CMG). The experimental results show that the axial grinding force in UVMG is reduced by 60–70% compared to that in CMG. In addition, the wheel loading is severe in CMG, while the issue of wheel loading is significantly alleviated in UVMG due to the discontinuous cutting characteristic achieved in this method. As a result, sharp increase of the axial grinding force, which is accompanied by the crack of SiC workpiece, happens frequently in CMG after a total grinding depth of 200 µm. By contrast, the axial grinding force is stable in UVMG during the total grinding depth of at least 900 µm. The ultrasonic vibration in UVMG results in rough surface finish due to the material-removal mechanism of brittle fracture. However, by taking the advantages of better machining stability in UVMG and better surface roughness in CMG, extremely thin SiC sensor diaphragms with satisfactory surface quality can be achieved. Finally, we demonstrate the successful fabrication of a thin SiC diaphragm with a thickness of 20.3 µm.     

Key technologies for laser-assisted precision grinding of 3D C/C-SiC composites

Due to their exceptional and distinctive qualities, 3D C/C-SiC composites are widely utilized in producing high-end equipment and the aerospace national defense industries. However, the hard and pseudo plastic nature of the material and its anisotropies make it challenging to process. To improve the processing quality of 3D C/C-SiC composites, laser-assisted precision grinding technology is introduced in this paper, which innovatively controls the depth of the thermally induced damage layer by adjusting the laser process parameters to reduce the hard brittleness of the material, and then the surface is created by precision grinding with a grinding wheel on this basis. Experiments on laser-induced damage, laser-assisted grinding, and diamond scratching were carried out to investigate the effect of laser parameters on material damage and the effect of laser-assisted grinding processes, with an emphasis on revealing the mechanism of material removal. The results show that laser irradiation causes complex reactions such as sublimation, decomposition, and oxidation of 3D C/C-SiC composites, resulting in SiO2 and Si and recondensed SiC, causing surface/subsurface damage. A maximum reduction in normal grinding force, tangential grinding force, specific grinding energy, and surface roughness of 35.6%, 43.6%, 43.58%, and 24.22%, respectively, compared to conventional grinding processes with laser-assisted grinding. After laser irradiation, the degree of brittle fracture in the precision grinding of workpieces is significantly reduced due to the degradation of matrix and fiber damage caused by laser irradiation, which reduces the hard and pseudo plastic properties of the material. The removal mechanism shows a trend of ductile domain removal in the grinding of thermally damaged layers, which reduces the grinding force and improves the surface quality.     

Damage formation mechanisms of sintered silicon carbide during single-diamond grinding

In this research, a single-diamond grinding test was performed on sintered silicon carbide (SSiC) to explore the damage formation mechanism. A scanning electron microscope and a transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to examine the surface and subsurface morphologies of the grinding groove, respectively. The characteristics of the ground surface morphologies reveal that the single-diamond grinding process of SSiC can be classified into purely ductile, primarily ductile, primarily brittle, and purely brittle stages. Based on the high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) images and the corresponding Fast Fourier transform images of the near-surface region, results reveal that the high density of dislocations and amorphization of SiC grains are responsible for the plastic deformation of SSiC. Most of the cracks congregate on the top grains of the ground surface due to the distinct obstruction of the grain boundary on the cracks propagation, and the cracks generated at the grain boundaries emit into the top grain interiors and go up toward the exposed surface for the distortedly deformed region with higher strain energy; Furthermore, stress concentration caused by the dislocation pileups at grain boundaries represents the crack initiation mechanisms for SSiC. Finally, based on the dislocations pile-up theory, a critical undeformed chip thickness model for boundary crack system nucleation is established, which considers the cutting-edge radius, grinding wheel speed, material properties, and grain size of ceramics.     

Modelling and grinding characteristics of unidirectional C–SiCs

At present, many scholars are experimentally investigating the grinding performance of ceramic matrix composites (C–SiCs). However, accurately reflecting the microscopic mechanisms of crack initiation and extension and the material removal mechanism (MRM) is difficult. To research the micro-MRM of C–SiCs, a theoretical model (TTM) and a numerical simulation model (NSM) were established in this study and were proven to be reliable by experiments. The TTM was established according to the kinematics and dynamics of a single abrasive particle. In the procedure of establishing the NSM, the SiC matrix (SiCM) and carbon fibre reinforcement (CFRT) were each modelled based on the internal structure characteristics of C–SiCs and then combined by an interface layer. The TTM, NSM and verification experiments all showed that fibre pull-out, fibre outcrop, matrix cracking and interfacial debonding were the basic defects in the C–SiCs. As the grinding depth (a_p) increased, the grinding performance of the C–SiCs gradually deteriorated. The material removal characteristics of C–SiCs can be directly modelled at the microlevel by the NSM. The NSM showed that the grinding force fluctuated periodically because the CFRT and SiCM have different properties. High stresses occurred mainly in the SiCM. This research can supply a scientific basis for understanding the micro-MRM of C–SiCs and provide important guidance for the high-quality grinding of C–SiCs.     

New observations of the fiber orientations effect on machinability in grinding of C/SiC ceramic matrix composite

In this paper, the effect of machining parameters on cutting force, force ratio, 3D surface roughness was studied, and the surface formation mechanism was deeply analyzed in view of the position relation between machining directions and fiber orientations. New observations of the fiber orientation effect on machinability are attempted to obtain in grinding of 2D C/SiC ceramic matrix composite with electroplated diamond grinding tool. Two machining directions (A and B) on one surface are taken into account to study the effect of fiber orientation on the grinding process. The results indicate that the cutting forces obtained in machining direction of A are greater than that in machining direction of B under all experimental conditions. However, the tangential force is greater than the normal force, which is different from grinding ordinary material. Whether in the machining direction of A or direction of B in grinding C/SiC composite, on the whole the surface roughness values (Sa and Sq) decrease as the feed rate increases. As depth of cut increasing, the surface roughness values in the machining direction of A and B come out inconsistency. At different feed rates, the surface roughness values in the machining direction of A and B also represent inconsistency with the change of cutting speed. The theoretical model of undeformed cutting thickness is unfit for evaluating its effect on the surface roughness. After analyzing of the surface formation, except for some fibers forming extruding fault and fracture, being pulled out, and fracture or broken, a new phenomenon that some fibers forming extruding fault and fracture is observed.     

Carbon Dioxide Laser Cutting of a Carbon-Fiber–Silicon Carbide-Matrix Composite

CO₂ laser scribing and cutting were studied on a carbon-fiber-silicon carbide-matrix (C/SiO) composite nominally containing 45 vol% of carbon fibers. The scribing and cutting were performed in continuous-wave (CW) mode using laser powers between 750 and 1500 W, and specimen translation velocities between 0.5 and 4 cm/s. The laser spot size was 300 μm in diameter. The groove width and depth were measured as functions of power and velocity. The results were compared to theoretically predicted values obtained by solving the quasi-steady-state heat conduction equation in three dimensions for a moving body. Reasonably good agreement between theory and experiment was found. The microstructures of the laser-cut surfaces indicated the formation of redeposit by condensation from the vapor phase. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy analyses of the redeposit showed the presence of β-SiC and graphitic carbon. The four-point bending strength of the laser-cut composite was found to be approximately 20% lower than the corresponding strength of the diamond-cut composite. The strength was fully recovered after removing 180 ± 10 μm of the material from the lased surface by grinding. The oxidation resistance of the laser-cut and diamond-cut composites was studied with a thermogravimetric balance at 1103°, 1304°, and 1402°C in air. The oxidation behavior at all investigated temperatures for both materials was dominated by a rapid initial mass loss due to the oxidation of carbon and a possible active oxidation of SiC, followed by a slow mass gain due to the passive oxidation of SiC. At 1304°C the rate of passive oxidation of SiC in the laser-cut material was somewhat higher than in the diamond-cut material. At 1402°C, the diamond-cut surface oxidized more rapidly than the taser-cut surface. The differences in oxidation rates were attributed to the differences in microstructure.     

Removal of Water from Spent Phosphoric Acid Using a Sandwich Silicon Carbide Ceramic Membrane

It is important to develop an energy- and cost-efficient method of concentrating phosphoric acid because it is widely used in several industries. Three different ceramic membranes, namely, a silicon carbide (SiC) membrane, a TiO₂-coated SiC membrane, and a sandwich membrane of TiO₂ between SiC, were successfully applied for the selective separation of water from spent phosphoric acid. SiC was selected as raw material, TiO₂ as supporting material. The membrane was characterized by various instruments to check all parameters. Using the solution diffusion, statistical modeling of these membranes was performed and the membrane parameters, such as membrane diffusivity and mass transfer coefficient, were calculated. By reducing the porosity of the membrane, the desired separation can be improved.     

SiC基反射镜制备工艺研究进展

空间系统用的高性能轻质反射镜的研究和应用正逐年稳定发展,本文从几种卫星反射镜材料的性能和特性出发,得出SiC及其复合材料作为反射镜材料性能最佳的结论;通过比较各种工艺制备SiC基反射镜性能,结果显示:只有CVD SiC能够作为反射镜反射光学表面.本文重点详细介绍了SiC及其复合材料反射镜制备工艺及方法特点,并对其工艺发展前景进行了展望.     

Efficient and slurryless ultrasonic vibration assisted electrochemical mechanical polishing for 4H–SiC wafers

This paper proposes a slurryless, highly efficient polishing method called ultrasonic vibration assisted electrochemical mechanical polishing (UAECMP) to realize 4H–SiC wafers with subnanometer surface roughness. UAECMP involves using ultrasonic vibration to simultaneously assist anodic oxidation of the SiC surface and mechanical removal of the generated oxide layer. The performance of UAECMP was evaluated by experiments and theoretical analyses. For a 4H–SiC (0001) surface, UAECMP achieved a material removal rate (MRR) of 14.54 μm/h, which was 4.5 times greater than that of ordinary electrochemical mechanical polishing (ECMP) and 290 times greater than that of mechanical polishing. Ultrasonic vibration increased the anodic oxidation rate by introducing local transient strain to the SiC surface and increasing the temperatures of the polishing area and electrolyte. The effect increased with the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration. However, increasing the ultrasonic vibration amplitude also increased the surface roughness due to the large fluctuations of polishing marks caused by the grinding stone and SiC surface impact and the increasing residual oxide. Therefore, we propose a high-efficiency and -quality polishing process for SiC wafers that combines UAECMP and ECMP. The proposed polishing process may help simplify the existing manufacturing process for SiC wafers.     

籽晶处理工艺对物理气相传输法生长SiC单晶的影响

将块体SiC单晶中切割下的晶片经研磨、抛光和腐蚀不同工艺处理后作为籽晶,用物理气相传输法生长SiC晶体,生长时间为10min。用光学显微镜观察晶片生长前后的形貌,讨论了不同处理工艺籽晶对晶体生长的影响。结果表明,研磨和抛光可以去除晶体切割时产生的凹坑和划痕,但残留的研磨变质层和抛光导致的机械损伤层可诱导晶片在高温晶体生长时产生多晶成核,腐蚀可以去除研磨和抛光时产生的机械损伤层,用腐蚀后的晶片作为籽晶,生长的晶体表面光滑,并且能够很好地复制籽晶的结构。     

反射镜材料的选择及SiC反射镜的应用

本文从反射镜材料选择的基本要求出发,以材料的热物理性能、力学性能、光学可加工性、化学稳定性和安全性为依据,认为SiC材料是今后反射镜材料的首选,另外还介绍了SiC反射镜的应用领域以及提出了未来SiC材料用作反射镜时的一些建议.