Machining of Micro-channels on Brittle Glass Using an Abrasive Slurry Jet

This paper presents a study of using an abrasive slurry jet for the machining of micro channels on brittle glasses. The machined surface morphology and channel dimensions are used to assess the technology. Surface morphology was found featuring with two types of wave patterns; one was along the channels with large wave lengths as a result of the jet deflection during the motion of nozzle, and the other was due to viscous flow that resulted in smooth surface eroded predominantly by ductile mode. The investigation showed that using higher jet pressure and higher particle concentration enables to create channels with higher depth, although these widened the channels and degraded the surface quality in some cases by inducing a larger number of pit fragments on the surface. With proper control of the operating parameters, this technology can be used for machining micro channels on brittle materials with high quality of surface finish.