Abstract

This study examined chemo-mechanical effects in loose abrasive microgrinding (grinding with micron and sub-micron sized abrasives). The work was directed specifically at understanding loose abrasive grinding dependency on slurry fluid chemistry. Several slurry fluids were investigated, including water, a homologous series of n-alcohols, and several other organics selected for various properties including molecular size and dielectric constant. Chemistry was found to play a major role in this process; in fact, by simply changing slurry fluid composition, it was possible to induce the transition from brittle fracture to ductile mode grinding in ULE® (Corning Code 7971 Titanium Silicate Low Expansion Glass). Data revealed that the dependency of loose abrasive grinding on slurry chemistry can best be explained as Rebinder-Westwood chemo-mechanical effects [1-4].

© 1990 Optical Society of America