Journal of Materials Processing Technology 149 (2004) 414418

Wear of cathode in abrasive electrochemical

grinding of hardly machined materials
S. Zaborski

, M. upak, D. Poro s
Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Wrocaw University of Technology, ul. tukasiewiza 3/5, Wroclaw 50-370, Poland
Abstract
There were the processes of solidbodies wear discussedas well as the kinds of wear of abrasive tools (cathodes) inabrasive electrochemical
grinding (AECG). Collection of factors having crucial inuence on the abrasive tools wear was mentioned. Some mechanisms of the abrasive
tools wear were introduced. The linear wear measurements of cathode versus the grinding time and volumetric output in mechanical grinding
and electrochemical grinding of sintered carbides G20 and titanium alloy WT3-1 were done. The practical conclusions based on the tests
performed were included.
2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Keywords: Wear of cathode; Mechanical grinding; AECG
1. Introduction
It is a problem of economical nature to remove the ma-
chining allowance of hardly machined materials like sintered
carbides, heat-resistant, and stainless steels, titanium alloys,
etc. using the traditional methods. This results from the fact
that machining of above materials with mechanical grind-
ing (MG) for instance is characterized by the considerable
wear of abrasive tools. It causes increased costs of produc-
tion, and moreover has consequences in decreased shape and
dimensional accuracy. Therefore, machining of such mate-
rials should be performed by using the method of abrasive
electrochemical grinding (AECG). The abrasive tools wear
in this way of machining is considerably reduced in com-
parison to those of mechanical grinding [7,8]. There can be
used the abrasive tools (cathodes) of different construction
and of different abrasive materials in the electrochemical
grinding. However, there are most often in use the grinding
wheels with diamond embankment. Because of the consider-
able costs of these tools, efforts are made towards the longest
time of its durability. The purpose of that elaboration is to
treat the kinds of abrasive tools wear, the factors inuencing
mechanism of its wear, and to perform wear measurement of
diamond and carborundum grinding wheels. Measurements
of those tools wear will be done in mechanical grinding and
in electrochemical grinding, under the same conditions and
on the same research stand.

Corresponding author. Tel.: +48-71-320-2791.

E-mail address: stanislav.zaborski@pwr.wroc.pl (S. Zaborski).
2. Wearing processes of abrasive tools
The wearing process of abrasive tool (cathode) is charac-
terized generally by the loss of mass or by the degradation
of outer upper layer of the abrasive embankment. This wear
is characterized by the change of linear measurements, by
the change of grain mass or the volume change of abrasive
grain and metallic binder. Fig. 1 shows by means of dia-
grams the general classication of wearing processes.
There appears most often the tribological wear, which is
of mechanically physically chemical character. It appears
usually at mix and dry friction, but sometimes at uid fric-
tion as well. The mechanical wearing processes consist of
separation of particle from the interactive surfaces in the
way of micro-machining by loss of micro-roughness or by
the loss of abrasive particles. Fatigue of material upper layer
caused by the cyclic load is a mechanical cause of wear as
well. Physical wear processes are generally connected with
adhesion of bodies which rub together. Adhering and diffu-
sion cause a wear trough separation of particles or through
particles displacement to interactive body.
Most often appearing non-tribological wear is corrosion
of elements. This is destroying of metallic binder gener-
ally under the inuence of chemical and electrochemical
factors. Chemical corrosion of metallic material is caused
through chemical activity of environment. There can appear
a gaseous corrosion as well. This is a destroying process
of metallic structural constituent taking place in the height-
ened temperatures on the border metal-gas. Metallic oxide
arising on the surfaces of collaborating solid bodies in the
0924-0136/$ see front matter 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.
doi:10.1016/j.matprotec.2004.02.015
S. Zaborski et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 149 (2004) 414418 415
Fig. 1. General classication of wearing processes according to following
criterion: causal; run; effect [3].
environment consisting oxygen are the product of gaseous
corrosion.
Majority of the corrosion processes in liquids is of elec-
trochemical character. The essence of these processes is aris-
ing and activity of shorted local cells called corrosion cells.
These cells arising in consequence of heterogeneous metal
surface contact with electrolyte when electric current ows
as it takes place while electrochemical grinding. Electric dis-
charges can appear through the friction node on working sur-
faces, they cause the spark erosion. This takes place during
electrochemical grinding, mainly at very small thickness of
the gap between electrodes and high voltage between them.
3. Kinds of abrasive tools wear
Fundamental inuence on qualitative and quantitative
course of wear in electrochemical grinding have pressure
force F
y
, speed of cathode v
c
and voltage between elec-
trodes U. Appearing abrasive particles wear mechanisms
are the effects of concurrent run of following processes:
mechanical abrade of abrasive particles, chemical and
electrochemical digestion, adhesion, diffusion, cracking,
spalling of particles and metallic binder. It occurs through
inuence of thermal stress and electric discharges [5].
Fig. 2. Factors effecting the mechanism of abrasive tool (cathode) wear.
Fig. 2 shows collection of factors affecting wear mecha-
nism of abrasive tools (cathodes) in ECG.
These factors affect in different ways the process run,
their interaction is determined by friction coefcient and
temperature T in the grinding zone. The character of wear
will take on different forms depending on intensity of re-
spective factor effect, particularly on the outer friction value
and temperature [2].
Fig. 3 shows different forms of cathode wear, elementary
forms including.
Predominating mechanism of abrasive wear in steady
conditions is the form of abrasive or strength wear. De-
ciding inuence on supremacy of any wear form exert
existing cutting resistance, reaction of thermal and electric
elds.
As a result of adhesion and diffusion processes overlap-
ping each other, which intensity is relevant to the temper-
ature and the trusts in cutting zone, the abrasive form of
abrasive particles arises. As their result follows decrease of
hardness and abrasive resistance of particles surface layers.
Outer kinetic friction arising in the gap between electrodes
crucially affects the abrasive wear mechanism of abrasive
particles towards machined material.
These wearing processes affect in decisive degree abra-
sive wear form of abrasive particles within interval of ac-
tivation kinetics. The second wear form, so-called strength
wear consists in the cracking of whole particles or cracking
and spalling their top layers under the inuence of existing
state of stress.
When internal and thermal stresses exceed the imme-
diate strength of particles, arises the immediate strength
wear. However, if cyclic mechanic-thermal stresses of
particles arise then they can be the cause of fatigue char-
acter strength wear. The fatigue wear shall arise when
stress status caused in the abrasive particle exceeds the fa-
tigue strength of particles. Strength mechanism of abrasive
particles wear is as a rule the dominant form in highly
416 S. Zaborski et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 149 (2004) 414418
Fig. 3. Types of abrasive tool (cathode) wear in ECG.
efcient machining running at maximal parameters of pro-
cess [1,4].
The third form of wear is the abrasive-chemical and hy-
drogen wear. This kind of wears are caused by presence
of corrosive environment (electrolytes) and electric current
ow. At that time the chemical and electrochemical diges-
tion arises and great deal of gases, mostly hydrogen is re-
leased [10]. These occurrences have destructive inuence
on the abrasive particles and metallic binder, revealing with
spalling of particles fragments and metallic binder.
Erosion wear is the fourth form of wear. This kind of wear
arises in the case when high value of voltage between elec-
trodes applied (U > 10 V) and the thickness of gap between
electrodes is small (S
a
< 2 10
5
m). Then an intensive
passage of current takes place and electric discharges ap-
pear (spark, spark-arc, sometimes arc). It is one of the most
dangerous forms of cathode wear arising with abrasive par-
ticles cracking, their crushing and chipping. Moreover, as a
result of arc discharges, erosion craters in metallic binder are
created and this is the cause of the whole abrasive particles
chipping.
In case of abrasive wear the capacity of cutting decreases
monotonically within the time passage. However, in case of
strength type of wear cutting capacity generally decreases
within the time passage, but there are possible instances
when at a certain period of time cutting capacity increases.
Therefore, generally dependence of cutting capacity in case
of strength wear is non-monotonical.
There were introduced a concept of relative wear of abra-
sive tools in order to enable the objective statement and eval-
uation of abrasive particles and abrasive tools wear run [6].
The relative wear is the tool wear related to cutting work
effect, for instance volume loss, size of machined surface or
caving in machined material. Volumetric relative wear can
be described as follows:
G =
Q
c
Q
v
(1)
where Q
c
is the volumetric loss of cathode and Q
v
the vol-
umetric loss of machined material.
4. Abrasive tools wear measurements
A lot of different kinds abrasive tool wears arise while
mechanical grinding, but always certain form is dominant
[1]. At voltage U < 10 V between electrodes abrasive wear
prevails. On the cathode (grinding wheel) a thin layer of
oxides arises which effectively prevents adhesiondiffusion
wear and penetration of hydrogen [9].
The objects of tests were diamond grinding wheels pro-
duced by the WENDT rm and carborundum grinding
wheels diameter 200 mm with metallic binder. The wear
measurements of these tools were performed by measure-
ment of linear loss, of thickness change before and after
machining, weighing, and then on the basis of simple
dependence the adequate indicators calculating [6].
The measurements of diamond grinding wheels were done
directly on the electrochemical grinder ESCB-40 just af-
ter nishing of mechanical grinding and electrochemical
S. Zaborski et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 149 (2004) 414418 417
Fig. 4. Effect of grinding duration t on linear wear Z
l
of a diamond
grinding wheel.
(ECG). There were following machining parameter applied:
U = 6 V, F
y
= 30 N, v
c
= 20 m/s, and electrolyte on the
basis of NaNO
3
with additives. Machined material (plates
of sintered carbides G20 and titanium alloy WT3-1) was
polarized in anode direction.
The linear wear measurements of grinding wheel dia-
mond embankment were performed by means of a special
attachment xed on the electrochemical grinder table. The
dial indicators were xed in this attachment, and set to
zero before measurements took place on the basic surface
and working surface of grinding wheel. The thickness dif-
ference of diamond abrasive embankment taken from two
following measurements was the result of measurement.
These measurements were done on eight points of grinding
wheel front surface, every 45

.
Fig. 4 shows wear of diamond grinding wheel versus
working time.
From the curves run issues that the greatest linear wear
arises in mechanical grinding of sintered carbides (MG
G20
)
within the initial period of work (after 3 min). This wear
is over eight times greater than in electrochemical grind-
ing (AECG
G20
) at the same parameters. Within the terminal
period of measurements (after 21 min) this difference de-
creases to about four times for the benet of electrochem-
ical grinding. At titanium alloy grinding within the initial
period of machining (after 3 min) the wear in mechanical
grinding (MG
WT3-1
) is about six times greater than in elec-
trochemical grinding (AECG
WT3-1
), and within the termi-
nal period of measurements (after 21 min) about ve times
greater.
Fig. 5 shows the linear wear of the diamond grinding
wheel versus the volumetric efciency while hardly ma-
chined materials grinding at the same parameters.
From the run of curves illustrating the grinding wheel lin-
ear wear outcomes that the linear wear of sintered carbides
in mechanical grinding (MG
G20
) is in average over six times
greater than in electrochemical grinding (AECG
G20
). Instead
while mechanical grinding of the titanium alloy (MG
WT3-1
)
the linear wear of grinding wheel is smaller. Nevertheless,
Fig. 5. Linear wear Z
l
of a diamond grinding wheel vs. volume efciency.
Fig. 6. Effect of the grinding method on relative volume wear G for
various abrasive materials.
this wear is about four times greater than while electrochem-
ical grinding (AECG
WT3-1
).
Crucial effect on the relative volume wear G of different
cathodes having methods of grinding, which is shown in
Fig. 6.
The relative wear G of silicon carbide cathodes is in elec-
trochemical grinding six times smaller than in mechanical
grinding. However, the grinding wheels with diamond em-
bankment are considerably more durable, their relative wear
G in electromechanical grinding is about 15 times smaller
than in mechanical grinding.
5. Conclusions
There were the different form of cathode wear, and factors
having crucial inuence on their wear presented. On the
basis of investigations performed following conclusions can
be formulated:
418 S. Zaborski et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 149 (2004) 414418
the greatest linear wear takes place in mechanical grind-
ing of sintered carbides G20 within the initial period of
work (after 3 min) and is over eight times greater than in
electrochemical grinding;
within the initial machining period (after 3 min) of tita-
nium alloy WT3-1, the wear in mechanical grinding is
about six times greater than in electrochemical grinding;
cathodes having diamond embankment are considerably
more durable than others, their relative wear in electro-
chemical grinding is about 15 times smaller than in me-
chanical one.
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