Atomistic investigation of machinability of monocrystalline 3C-SiC in elliptical vibration-assisted diamond cutting

Deformation-induced characteristics of surface layer strongly rely on loading condition-related operating deformation modes. In the current study we reveal the mechanisms governing machined surface formation of hard brittle monocrystalline 3C-SiC in ultrasonic elliptical vibration-assisted diamond cutting by molecular dynamics simulations. Simulation results show different deformation modes including phase transformation, dislocation activity, and crack nucleation and propagation, as well as their correlations with surface integrity in terms of machined surface morphology and subsurface damage. In particular, molecular dynamics simulations of ordinary cutting are also carried out, which demonstrate the effectiveness of applying ultrasonic vibration of cutting tool in decreasing machining force and suppressing crack events, i.e., promoting ductile-mode cutting for achieving high surface integrity. The physical mechanism governing the machining differences between the two machining processes are also revealed. Furthermore, the effect of cutting depth on machined surface integrity under vibration-assisted cutting and ordinary cutting is addressed.