Abrasive wear in ultrasonic drilling

Material removal in ultrasonic drilling is caused by the abrasives in the slurry. As a given charge of abrasive circulates, the mean particle size decreases and the initially sharp cutting edges become dull, reducing the machining rate. This paper discusses the mechanism of wear of the abrasive in ultrasonic drilling; the size of abrasives in the working zone governs machining rate, tool wear and production accuracy of the holes drilled     

Computational investigation of testing parameter effects on abrasive wear behaviour of AL2O3 particle-reinforced MMCS using statistical analysis

The wear rate model of 7.3?vol.% Al₂O₃ particle-reinforced aluminium alloy composites with 16 and 66???m particle sizes fabricated by molten metal mixing method was developed in terms of applied load, particle size of reinforcement, abrasive grain size and sliding distance based on the Taguchi method. The two-body abrasive wear behaviour of the specimens was investigated using a pin-on-disc abrasion test apparatus where the sample slid against different SiC abrasives under the loads of 2 and 5?N at the room conditions. The orthogonal array, signal-to-noise ratio and analysis of variance were employed to find out the optimal testing parameters. The test results showed that particle size of reinforcement was found to be the most effective factor among the other control parameters on abrasive wear, followed by abrasive grain size. Moreover, the optimal combination of the testing parameters was determined and predicted. The predicted wear rate results were compared with experimental results and found to be quite reliable.     

Influence of CrC addition in Ni-Cr-Si-B flame sprayed coatings on microstructure, microhardness and wear behaviour

In the present paper the influence of the addition of chromium carbide (CrC) particles on the microstructure, microhardness and abrasive wear behaviour of flame sprayed Ni-Cr-Si-B coatings deposited on low carbon steel substrate has been reported. Wear behaviour of the coatings was evaluated with a pin-on-block wear system against SiC abrasive medium (120 & 600 grades) over a range of normal load (5–20 N). It was observed that the wear behaviour is governed by the material related parameters (microstructure, microhardness of coating) and test parameters (abrasive grit size and normal load). The addition of CrC reduces the wear rate three to eightfold. Wear resistance was greater against coarse abrasives at high loads than against fine abrasives. Heat treatment of both unmodified (1004) and modified powder (1004-10%CrC, 1004-20%CrC) coatings deteriorated the abrasive wear resistance. SEM study of wear surfaces showed that wear of the coatings largely takes place by groove formation, plowing and scoring. Electron probe micro analysis (EPMA) of the coating was carried out for composition and phase analysis.     

Abrasive wear of steel against gravel with different rock–steel combinations

Wear testing equipment and tests used in research laboratories are often miniature or simplified versions of real applications. For example standardized ASTM dry sand rubber wheel abrasion test G 65 and pin abrasion test G 132 are widely used to study materials’ abrasion wear resistance. The test results, however, do not always correlate too well with the results obtained from real wear conditions. One reason for this is, for example, that in the crushing applications of mining industry the abrasive size is usually much larger than that used in the laboratory wear tests. To study the abrasive wear caused by larger size gravel, new three-body abrasion test equipment was therefore constructed. The equipment uses the pin-on-disk principle with free abrasive particles of sizes up to 10 mm. During the test the pin is repeatedly pressed against a fixed amount of abrasive that is rotating with the disk having confining walls. As the pin is prevented from touching the counterbody, only the abrasive acts as the wearing agent.Three steels of different hardnesses were cross-tested as pin–disk pairs and as pins against a rubber disk using three igneous rock gravels with different crushability properties as abrasives. The wear was measured as mass loss from both the pin and the disk, and the rock comminution was measured by sieving. The results indicate that the mechanism of wear is greatly affected by the hardness of the counterbody. When using large size abrasives, the rate of comminution is also a very important factor that can significantly affect the wear test results.     

Influence of atmospheric humidity on abrasive wear — II. 2-body abrasion

Specimens of glass, steel, copper and an aluminium alloy were abraded on silicon carbide abrasive papers under controlled levels of atmospheric humidity. Under the testing conditions used, all materials show an increase in wear rate between 0 and 65% r.h. At higher humidity levels the softer materials show a decreasing wear rate, while the harder materials show a continuing increase. Atmospheric moisture decreases the fracture strength of the SiC abrasives. This results in improved cutting efficiency at low humidity and in grit deterioration at high humidity. The magnitude of the effect on wear rates is strongly dependent on experimental conditions, in particular load per abrasive, distance of contact with the specimen surface and supply of fresh abrasives.     

Effects of grit size on abrasion with coated abrasives

This paper is concerned with identifying the causes of grit size effects in the initial performance of fresh coated abrasives and the deterioration of coated abrasive performance with continued use. Abrasion tests were performed on an instrumented pin-on-cylinder apparatus which had removable segments for observing the coated abrasive surface in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). This allowed for a direct correlation between measurements of coated abrasive performance and SEM observations of coated abrasive morphology. With coated abrasives containing finer grit sizes, numerous adhesive wear particles were found on the coated abrasive surface; this supports the theory that the smaller initial abrasion rate with finer grits is due to abrasive grains making “elastic” contact with the metal specimen at loads insufficient for cutting. With continued use, the rapid deterioration in performance with finer grits was accompanied by a buildup of metal caused by capping of the abrasive grain tips with metal chips and by clogging due to metal chips and adhesive wear particles becoming stuck between the grains. With coarser grits, which were found to experience extensive grain fracture followed by some grain capping and flattening but virtually no clogging, the deterioration in coated abrasive performance was very much less.     

The effect of abrasive grain size on the transition between abrasive and adhesive wear

Experiments were carried out in which SiC abrasives with a grain size range of 3–150 μm were inserted between sliding metals. The metals were pure aluminium, copper, iron, nickel and zinc. The test geometry was a tube end against a flat surface. The effect of grain size can be classified into three regimes. In the first, where abrasive grains are larger than a critical size d_c (about 50 μm), the wear rate is independent of grain size. In the second regime the wear rate decreases as abrasive grains become smaller than d_c to a limit at a transition grain size d_t (about 10 μm). In the third regime the wear rate is high and independent of abrasive grain size. The wear debris consists of large metal flakes with abrasive particles mixed in. Although abrasive particles are present, the wear is primarily adhesive, and the action of the abrasive particles is to promote the removal of metallic wear debris from the contact region.     

Self-dressing effect using a fixed abrasive platen for single-sided lapping of sapphire substrate

Single-sided lapping is crucial in sapphire wafering processes for improving flatness and achieving the target wafer thickness using loose abrasives. In single-sided lapping process, the Material removal rate (MRR) is a key factor for reducing process time and cost. However, the MRR is limited when using loose abrasives because abrasives mostly act by rolling and sliding. Many researchers have studied fixed abrasives to increase the MRR, but the MRR decreases with time. To solve this problem, the self-dressing effect was studied with various pressures, velocities, cutting fluids and wafers. The MRR decreased due to the wear of abrasives, and the pressure and velocity have little effect on the self-dressing. Lapping experiments were done using cutting fluid with a lapped wafer and sawed wafer. The MRR, plate roughness and thickness were measured to study the wear of the abrasive and the self-dressing effect. The cutting fluid delayed the wear of the abrasives and thus improved the decrease in MRR, but it had little effect on the self-dressing effect, like in the case when water was used. When using cutting fluid and a sawed wafer, the MRR was high and did not decrease. A concentrated load on the plate caused by shape error and saw marks on the sawed wafer could produce the self-dressing effect. We verified that a sawed wafer could produce the self-dressing effect on even a worn plate.     

Abrasive wear of high speed steels: Influence of abrasive particles and primary carbides on wear resistance

A ball cratering test has been used to investigate the abrasive wear of high speed steels with different volume fraction and size of primary carbides. Three different abrasives, SiC, Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ were used. Wear mechanisms were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A good correlation between the hardness of the abrasives and the abrasive wear coefficient was found. Higher abrasive wear resistance was determined for steels containing coarser primary carbides compared to those without or with smaller carbides. The most pronounced difference in abrasive wear resistance was found for Al₂O₃ abrasives. This indicates that in ball cratering the abrasive medium has to be chosen properly, i.e. with a hardness adjusted to those of both primary carbides and martensitic matrix, to obtain results suitable to rank high speed steels with respect to abrasion resistance.     

Mechanism of material removal during three-body abrasion of FRP composite

The low-stress abrasive wear behaviour of chopped-glass-fibre-reinforced polyester composites has been studied by using a rubber wheel abrasion test (RWAT) apparatus. Silica sand particles of two different size ranges were used in the current study as dry and loose abrasives. Weight loss of the composites during three-body abrasion has been examined as a function of the sliding distance. Abrasive wear of the composites shows dependence both on abrasive particle sizes and applied load, as well as the weight fraction of glass fibre reinforcement. It has also been observed that the wear rate becomes constant with the increasing sliding distance. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the worn surfaces and to understand the mechanism involved in material removal. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Morphology and Toughness of Abrasive Particles and Their Effects on the Friction and Wear of Friction Materials: A Case Study with Zircon and Quartz

This study examined the friction and wear of brake friction materials containing two different abrasives: zircon and quartz. Commercial grade abrasives with two different sizes (fine and coarse) were compared in terms of the effects of the size, shape, and toughness of the abrasive particles on the friction and wear of the friction material and counter discs. The results showed that the morphology of the abrasives has a considerable effect on the friction effectiveness and wear of the friction couple. The level of friction was higher in the case of using quartz than zircon, and smaller particles were more effective in increasing the coefficient of friction. The toughness of the abrasives also played important roles in determining the friction effectiveness. Improved heat resistance at elevated temperatures was achieved when coarse zircon was used. The wear of the friction material was also dependent on the morphology and toughness of the abrasives and the large abrasive particles produced more wear on the gray iron disc.     

Two-body abrasion of some polymers against 6–50 μm SiC abrasives

Single- and multiple-pass two-body abrasion tests were run on Nylon $\text{6}\text{6}\text{+ 20\%}$ polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polycarbonate + 10% PTFE sliding dry against 6–50 μm SiC abrasives. A functional relationship was developed between the single-pass wear rate and the abrasive particle size for abrasive particle sizes less than or equal to 10.4 μm. The single-pass abrasive wear rate was 20–40 times greater than the multiple-pass wear rate for each material when it was slid against abrasive grains with a mean size not exceeding 10.4 μm. This was due to the formation of loose polymer fibril wear debris in single-pass sliding and of transferred plateaux of polymer in multiple-pass sliding. The rate of increase in wear with particle size was about 20 times greater for single-pass sliding than for multiple-pass sliding. Above a mean abrasive particle size of 10.4 μm the type of mechanism in both single-pass and multiple-pass sliding was that of ploughing.     

Production accuracy of holes in ultrasonic drilling

The production accuracy obtainable for ultrasonically drilled holes is affected by the continuous wear of the abrasive particles in the slurry and by tool wear. The influences of certain important parameters such as static load, machining time, type of abrasives, grit size and work material on dimensional and form accuracy are presented.     

CMP behavior of alumina/metatitanic acid core–shell abrasives on sapphire substrates

The abrasive is one of the important influencing factors during the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. Although α-alumina is one of the most commonly used sapphire polishing abrasives due to its high hardness, it often results in surface damage. To receive lower surface roughness and high material removal rate, a common approach is to modify the surface of alumina. In this work, a series of alumina/metatitanic acid composite abrasives with core–shell structure were synthesized. The CMP performances of the pure alumina and alumina/metatitanic acid core–shell abrasives on sapphire substrates were investigated after polishing under the same conditions. Experimental results indicate that the alumina/metatitanic acid core–shell abrasives can not only improve the surface quality, but also further enhance the material removal rate. Furthermore, through the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy test, this study investigated the chemical effect mechanism of the alumina/metatitanic acid core–shell abrasives in sapphire CMP. The results show that solid-state chemical reactions occur between metatitanic acid shell and sapphire surface during CMP process. We also investigated the mechanical friction mechanism through abrasive wear and adhesive wear.     

The Effect of Applied Load on Tribological Behaviors of Potassium Titanate Whiskers Reinforced PEEK Composites Under Water Lubricated Condition

The tribological behavior of potassium titanate whiskers (PTW) reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composite has been investigated using the pin-on-disk configuration at different applied loads under water lubricated condition. It was found that the incorporation of the PTW into PEEK would achieve high wear resistance and low friction coefficient at low load. When the applied load increased up to 4 MPa, only the composite filled with 5 wt% PTW showed a significant improvement in the frictional reduction and wear resistance; on the contrary, a rapid increasing of the friction coefficient was observed for the composites of high PTW content. In the meantime, the severe wear loss occurred along with the sharply increasing temperature. This sudden deterioration of the wear resistance should be attributed to the change of the wear mechanism. The main wear mechanism of mild fatigue for the neat PEEK and mild abrasive wear for the 5 wt% PTW filled composite did not alter with the rising of the load. In this case, no transfer film could be detected on the counterpart surface. However, for the high PTW filled composites, the wear mechanism changed from the mild abrasive wear at low applied load to the severe fatigue wear at high load. Large amounts of wear debris were generated by the fatigue-delamination of the composite surface. And then, the debris served as third-body abrasives during the subsequent sliding process and the wear mechanism changed to severe abrasive wear. And unexpectedly, a thick and lumpy transfer film was formed on the counterface.     

The friction properties of an ultrathin confined water film

A factorial design approach technique was adopted to understand the high stress abrasive behaviour of a diamond reinforced composite coating for various compositions at different loads and abrasive sizes. A linear regression equation was developed and used for understanding the influence of the diamond concentration, applied load, and abrasive sizes on the wear response. A negative value of the coefficient associated with diamond concentration, together with its interactions with the applied load; suggest that the wear rate decreases with increasing diamond concentration. By contrast, a positive coefficient suggests an increase in wear rate due to an increase in related factors such as the applied load and abrasive size. The coefficients associated with the interactions of the parameters are insignificant by comparison with the individual parameters, thereby demonstrating that the interaction effect of these parameters towards the wear rate is insignificant. The wear rate may be extracted in terms of the diamond concentration, the applied load and the abrasive grit size using the above linear regression equation.     

Effect of carbide size on the abrasion of cobalt-base powder metallurgy alloys

A study of the effect of carbide size on the abrasion resistance of two cobalt-base powder metallurgy alloys, alloys 6 and 19, was conducted using low stress abrasion with a relatively hard abrasive, A1₂O₃. Specimens of each alloy were produced with different carbide sizes but with a constant carbide volume fraction. The wear test results show a monotonie decrease in wear rate with increasing carbide size.Scanning electron microscopy of the worn surfaces and of wear debris particles shows that the primary material removal mechanism is micromachining. Small carbides provide little resistance to micromachining because of the fact that many of them are contained entirely in the volume of micromachining chips. The large carbides must be directly cut by the abrasive particles. Other less frequently observed material removal mechanisms included direct carbide pull-out and the formation of large pits in fine carbide specimens. These processes are considered secondary in the present work, but they may have greater importance in wear by relatively soft abrasives which do not cut chips from the carbide phase of these alloys. Some indication of this is provided by limited studies using a relatively soft abrasive, rounded quartz.     

Abrasive wear and its application to digger teeth

Abrasive wear is receiving increased attention particularly as its economic importance is appreciated. Low alloy carbon steels are widely used in the heat treated condition to resist abrasion and, in particular, are used for digger teeth. Little information is available in the literature on field or service wear studies and it was necessary, therefore, to carry out field studies in parallel with a laboratory wear investigation.A particular feature of the field study is the realization that significant wear occurs by rubbing to produce smooth surfaces and surface transformation, as well as wear by cutting and micro-chipping.A laboratory investigation based upon two-body pin-on-disc testing has been used to investigate the wear of a wide range of experimental steels, a manganese steel and a commercial digger tooth steel for comparison. Wear is directly proportional to the load and inversely related to hardness, but not to sliding distance because of the degradation of the abrasive paper. Abrasion increases with harder abrasives and increased abrasive particle size.The analysis of these results, although important from a wear mechanism point of view, shows that there is currently a lack of direct correlation between the field and laboratory studies because of the different surface features developed. Further investigations are proceeding to improve this correlation.