Surface finishing of alumina ceramics by means of abrasive jet machining

Abrasive jet machining (AJM) is proposed as a new approach to surface finishing of structural ceramics. The effect of AJM on the material removal behavior of a commercially available alumina ceramic, and its effect on mechanical properties, was characterized and compared with identical material subjected to conventional finishing processes. Conventional grinding of the ceramic resulted in a surface that was dominated by intergranular fracture, whereas, during AJM, impact by the abrasives led to material removal in a manner resembling ductile behavior, and the resulting surface appearance was much smoother. A significant improvement in flexural strength was attained, compared with the strength of both the ground and lapped samples, because of an induced compressive residual stress.