CBN wear behavior during a single-grain ultrasonic vibrations grinding PTMCs materials

Particle-reinforced titanium matrix composites (PTMCs) are extensively utilized in key aerospace structural components due to their low density, high ductility, oxidation resistance, excellent wear, and high temperature properties. However, the quality of machining is significantly impacted by macro-fracture and pull-out of the reinforcing particles. In order to address the aforementioned issues and elucidate the material removal mechanism of cubic boron nitride (cBN), this study introduces ultrasonic machining technology into conventional single cBN grain grinding and conducts comparative experiments. The impact of machining parameters on material removal ratio, abrasive wear, and surface quality is the primary focus of the investigation. Findings indicate that the implementation of radial ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding (RUAVG) can effectively reduce the pile-up ratio from 17.3 to 58.3%. Due to the impact of ultrasonic vibration on abrasive grains and their interference with reinforced particles, cBN abrasive grains undergo continuous micro-fracturing, resulting in superior self-sharpening capabilities and sustained sharpness and processing performance of the grinding edge. Compared to conventional grinding, RUVAG achieves material removal via cutting and micro-fracture mechanisms, which effectively prevents reinforcement pull-out and significantly enhances machining quality.