Machining characteristics of reaction bonded-SiC with blasting erosion arc machining

Abstract

Reaction bonded SiC (RB-SiC) possesses advantages such as high hardness, temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance; however, these advantages also result in significant challenges in the machining of RB-SiC. Considering its high efficiency and low cost in the processing of difficult-to-cut materials, blasting erosion arc machining (BEAM) demonstrates considerable potential for the efficient machining of RB-SiC. However, research on BEAM has primarily focused on highly conductive materials, and application to low-conductivity, hard, and brittle ceramic materials has received limited attention. Thus, this study proposed the application of BEAM to RB-SiC and investigated its machining characteristics. Firstly, as the heat source in BEAM, the arc plasma behavior during RB-SiC machining was investigated via single-discharge experiments and compared with that observed for AISI 304 stainless steel. The results showed that the arc plasma generated during RB-SiC machining exhibited a higher development speed, stability, and maintaining voltage. Therefore, to ensure timely extinction of the arc plasma and protect the workpiece surface from thermal damage, a shorter pulse duration is more suitable for machining RB-SiC as it forcibly terminates energy input. Then, to analyze the machining effect of BEAM, the behavior of the molten pool and morphology of craters were investigated. The results indicate that RB-SiC is difficult to melt and expel efficiently, owing to its high thermal conductivity, high melting temperature, and large specific heat capacity. Therefore, high-speed flushing is essential to ensure effective material removal. Based on the research of arc discharge characteristics of RB-SiC, the machining performance was evaluated through machining experiments. The material removal rate (MRR) in RB-SiC machining reached 539.6 mm³/min, which was five times higher than that achieved using electrical discharge machining (EDM). The surface roughness was 25.31 µm, which was only 67.39% of that of 304 stainless steel under similar parameters. Finally, a lightweight structure was processed to confirm that the efficient and low-cost processing of RB-SiC could be achieved through BEAM, while maintaining an acceptable surface quality. This study offers a new method for the rapid removal of RB-SiC, which will facilitate the widespread application of RB-SiC in several fields.

Keywords

Reaction bonded SiC (RB-SiC) / Blasting erosion arc machining (BEAM) / Machining characteristics / Material removal

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China(U24A20122)

Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai Municipality(24ZR1431100)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Shanghai University and Periodicals Agency of Shanghai University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

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