The study on the wear mechanism of electrode materials in negative EDM process and the effect of carbon deposition layer

Based on the field-emission theory, the wear of electrode materials and the work energy were studied, and the single-hole EDMing contrast experiments with different process parameters were designed and carried out. The analysis on experimental results show that, copper electrode has the higher discharging energy, higher machining efficiency but lower material wear comparing with A3# steel ones; the carbon deposition layer on the end surface plays a better role in reducing the wear of copper electrode while has little effect on A3# ones; and to copper electrode, the bigger ratios of valid discharging time will be helpful to improve the machining efficiency, lower the wear of electrode, but the wear-reducing function of carbon deposition layer will recede either.