Effect of boric acid in powder mixed EDM of Ti-6al-4V ELI

Ti-6Al-4 V ELI is an advanced titanium alloy used in different sectors. Being a hard-to-machine material, it is crucial to explore the machinability of Ti-6Al-4 V ELI. Boric acid powder mixed with deionized water is utilized as a dielectric to machine Ti-6Al-4 V ELI in electrical discharge machining (EDM). The effect of powder concentration (PC), current, and pulse-on time on material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR), surface roughness (SR), and specific energy consumption (SEC) is evaluated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the formation of TiO2, TiB, and Al2O3-like hard compounds over the surface. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) test indicates that there are more craters and globules on the surface machined in 5 g/l PC compared to that of 15 g/l PC. The overall evaluation criteria are designed to maximize the MRR and minimize the TWR, SR, and SEC by optimizing the variable parameters.

Automated summary

Ti-6Al-4V ELI, an advanced titanium alloy, was studied for its machinability. The use of boric acid powder mixed with deionized water as a dielectric in electrical discharge machining (EDM) was found to be effective. The impact of powder concentration, current, and pulse-on time on material removal rate, tool wear rate, surface roughness, and specific energy consumption was evaluated. The SEM test showed more craters and globules on the surface machined with a lower powder concentration of 5 g/l compared to 15 g/l.