Experimental investigation on tool wear in ultrasonic vibration-assisted turning of SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix composite

Silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites have attracted attention due to superior properties, such as low density, high strength, and high-temperature resistance. However, it often faces severe tool wear during cutting, with the fibers and matrix material being of high hardness and brittleness, which has an inevitable effect on the engineering application of this kind of material. In this paper, wear volume V-W is used to evaluate the tool wear through solid modeling and parameter measurement based on the tool wear topography in turning of SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix composites. Conventional turning (CT), ultrasonic vibration-assisted turning (UVAT), and ultrasonic vibration-assisted turning with water cooling (W-UVAT) experiments are carried out using CBN, PCD, and PDC tools to investigate and analyze the cutting performance. In the meantime, the tool wear mechanism and form are studied based on the analysis of ultrasonic vibration on tool wear, the geometric position of wear, accumulation of cutting workpiece powders, and tool wear curve. Experimental results found that the PDC tool obtains the best cutting performance, which is more suitable for turning silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites. Within the experimental parameters, with the increased ultrasonic amplitude A, V-W decreases first and then increases, reaching a minimum at A which is 3 mu m. The main wear mechanism of the PDC tool is abrasive wear, and the primary wear form is the spalling of polycrystalline diamond abrasive grains.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the effects of cutting performance and tool wear on the machining of SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix composites. The experimental results show that the PDC tool achieves the best cutting performance and is more suitable for machining silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites. Additionally, it is found that the tool wear decreases first and then increases with increasing ultrasonic amplitude, reaching a minimum at an amplitude of 3 μm. The main wear mechanism of the tool is abrasive wear, with the primary wear form being the spalling of polycrystalline diamond abrasive grains.