Investigation on workpiece microstructure and wheel performance on grinding titanium metal matrix composites

An experimental study is reported on the grinding of a titanium metal matrix composite (TiMMC) using electroplated diamond wheels. Flat surface grinding experiments were performed at a fixed wheel speed vs = 20 m/s, various depths of cut a = 0.03–0.08 mm, and workspeeds vw = 10–100 mm/s. Additional tests were also conducted on titanium alloy (Ti alloy) for comparisons. The wheel wear and its effects on grinding forces, power, surface roughness, and workpiece microstructures are presented. The process limits were also investigated. It was revealed that steady state wheel wear on TiMMC was slightly slower than on Ti alloy. Low specific energy ranging from 16–34 J/mm3 was obtained for both materials. It was found that surface roughness decreases for TiMMC, but increases for Ti alloy, with increasing workspeeds. Plastic deformation leads to microstructural changes in the form of twinning below ground surfaces. Copyright © 2023 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.