Application Research on Powder Mixed EDM in Rough Machining

Powder Mixed Electric Discharge Machining (PMEDM) has different mechanism from conventional EDM, which can improve the surface roughness and surface quality distinctly and to obtain nearly mirror surface effects. It is a useful finish machining method and is researched and applied by many countries. However there are little research on rough machining of PMEDM. Experiments show that PMEDM machining makes discharge breakdown easier, enlarges the discharge gaps and widens discharge passage, and at last forms even distributed and "large and shadow" shaped etched cavities. Because of much loss of discharge energy in the discharge gaps and reduction of ejecting force on the melted material, the machining efficiency gets lower and the surface roughness gets small in PMEDM machining in comparison with conventional EDM machining. This paper performs experimental research on the machining efficiency and surface roughness of PMEDM in rough machining. The machining efficiency of PMEDM can be highly increased by selecting proper discharge parameters (increasing peak current, reducing pulse width) with approximate surface roughness in comparison with conventional EDM machining. Although PMEDM can improve machining efficiency in rough efficiency, but a series of problems like electrode wear, efficiently separation of machined scraps from the powder mixed working fluid, should be solved before PMEDM machining is really applied in rough machining. Experiments result shows that powder mixed EDM machining can obviously improve machining efficiency at the same surface roughness by selecting proper discharging parameters, and can provide reference accordingly for the application of PMEDM machining technology in rough machining.

Preparation and structure characteristics of nano-Bi_2O_3 powders with mixed crystal structure

The nano-Bi2O3 powders were prepared by a chemical precipitation method with Bi（NO3）3, HNO3 and NaOH as reactants. The structural characteristics and morphology of nano-Bi2O3 powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The results show that under the optimum condition that 300g/L Bi（NO3）3 reacts at 90℃ for 2h, the Bi2O3 powders with 60nm on the average and 99.5% in purity are obtained. The prepared nano-Bi2O3 powders contain a mixed crystal structure of monoclinic and triclinic instead of traditional structure of monoclinic α-Bi2O3. And the mixed crystal structure is stable in air. The reason for the appearance of the mixed crystal structure may be that the ionic radius ratio of Bi 3+ to O 2- changes easily during the formation of nano-Bi2O3 particles by a chemical precipitation method.

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON CrAl MIXED POWDERS BY MECHANICAL ALLOYING

Thechangesof microstructure, phase? structureand microhardnessof Cr Al mixed powders in the processof mechanical? alloying ( MA) have? beeninvestigated by X ray diffractionanalysis , SEM examination and microstructure testing. The results show that the mi crostructure of Cr Al mixed powderssubjected? to mechanicalalloying for96 hoursexhibits super saturated solid solution of Cr andintermetalliccompound η AlCr2 .

Study on the Evaporation Kinetics of Zinc and Lead in Zn-Pb-Bearing Dust Pellets Mixed with Coal Powder

The study on the evaporation kinetics of zinc and lead in the pellets made of ZnPbbearing dust mixed with carbon ,in nitrogen atmosphere at the temperature range between 1 100 and 1 300 , shows that the reduction temperature has a significant effect on the evaporation rates of zinc and lead and that both the particle size of coal powder and the extra carbon content have no effect on the evaporation rates . The obtained activation energies for the evaporation of zinc and lead are 7942 kJ/mol and 8874kJ/mol respectively. The evaporation rate of zinc is controlled by the reaction between zinc oxide and CO while that of lead is controlled by lead volatilization and the diffusion of gaseous lead through gas boundary layer covering the surface of liquid lead.

Effect of Recycled Mixed Powder on the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Concrete

In this paper,recycled bricks and recycled concrete were applied to prepare eco-friendly recycled mixed powder(RMP)cementitious material,as a supplementary to replace conventional cement for improve the recycling of construction and demolition waste.Based on the effect of cementitious materials on the hydration of silicate cement,the effects of RMP on the workability,mechanical properties and microstructure of recycled mixed powder concrete(RMPC)with the different replacement ratios and the 8:4 and 6:4 mixing ratio of recycled brick powder(RBP)and recycled concrete powder(RCP)were investigated.The results showed that the fluidity of the mix decreased with increasing of the replacement ratio and the mixing ratio of RBP and RCP,but the influence of the fluidity was smaller within 15%replacement ratio.As the replacement ratio increases,the internal pore structure of RMPC tends to be loose and porous,which exhibits a significant pore volume distribution characteristic.The number of large capillaries was considerably increased at replacement ratio of 45%.The 7 d compressive strength of RMPC was slightly lower than that of ordinary concrete.The compressive and splitting tensile strengths of RMPC at 28 d increased by 4.2%and 10.1%,respectively,with increasing curing age at 15%replacement ratio and 6:4 mixing ratio.The RMPC mechanical strengths with RBP and RCP at the mixing ratio of 6:4 was higher than those of 8:2.Finally,a basis for the recycling of RBP and RCP in the construction industry can be provided by the results of this study.

Powder mixed electrochemical discharge process for micro machining of C103 niobium alloy

This work demonstrates the viability of the powder-mixed micro-electrochemical discharge machining(PMECDM) process to fabricate micro-holes on C103 niobium-based alloy for high temperature applications.Three processes are involved simultaneously i.e.spark erosion,chemical etching,and abrasive grinding for removal of material while the classical electrochemical discharge machining process involves double actions i.e.spark erosion,and chemical etching.The powder-mixed electrolyte process resulted in rapid material removal along with a better surface finish as compared to the classical microelectrochemical discharge machining(MECDM).Further,the results are optimized through a multiobjective optimization approach and study of the surface topography of the hole wall surface obtained at optimized parameters.In the selected range of experimental parameters,PMECDM shows a higher material removal rate(MRR) and lower surface roughness(R_(a))(MRR:2.8 mg/min and R_(a) of 0.61 μm) as compared to the MECDM process(MRR:2.01 mg/min and corresponding Raof 1.11 μm).A detailed analysis of the results is presented in this paper.

Review to EDM by Using Water and Powder-Mixed Dielectric Fluid

Basically Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a well-established non-conventional machining process, used for manufacturing geometrically complex or hard and electrically conductive material parts that are extremely difficult-to-cut by other conventional machining processes. Erosion pulse discharge occurs in a small gap between the work piece and the electrode. This removes the unwanted material from the parent metal through melting and vaporizing in presence of dielectric fluid. Performance measures are different for different materials, process parameters as well as for dielectric fluids. Presence of metal partials in dielectric fluid diverts its properties, which reduces the insulating strength of the dielectric fluid and increases the spark gap between the tool and work piece. As a result, the process becomes more stable and metal removal rate (MRR) and surface finish increases. The EDM process is mainly used for making dies, moulds, parts of aerospace, automotive industry and surgical components etc. This paper reviews the research trends in EDM process by using water and powder mixed dielectric as dielectric fluid.

Effect of powder mixing process on the microstructure and thermal conductivity of Al/diamond composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering

Two powder mixing processes, mechanical mixing （MM） and mechanical alloying （MA）, were used to prepare mixed Al/diamond powders, which were subsequently consolidated using spark plasma sintering （SPS） to produce bulk Al/diamond composites. The effects of the powder mixing process on the morphologies of the mixed powders, the microstructure and the thermal conductivity of the composites were investigated. The results show that the powder mixing process can significantly affect the microstructure and the thermal conductivity of the composites. Agglomerations of the particles occurred in mixed powders using MM for 30 min, which led to high pore content and weak interfacial bonding in the composites and resulted in low relative density and low thermal conductivity for the composites. Mixed powders of homogeneous distribution of diamond particles could be obtained using MA for 10 min and MM for 2 h. The composite prepared through MA indicated a high relative density but low thermal conductivity due to its defects, such as damaged particles, Fe impurity, and local interfacial debonding, which were mainly introduced in the MA process. In contrast, the composite made by MM for 2 h demonstrated high relative density and an excellent thermal conductivity of 325 W.m^-1.K^-1, owing to its having few defects and strong inter-facial bonding.

Fabrication of homogeneously dispersed graphene/Al composites by solution mixing and powder metallurgy

Graphene-reinforced aluminum （AI） matrix composites were successfully prepared via solution mixing and powder metallurgy in this study. The mechanical properties of the composites were studied using microhardness and tensile tests. Compared to the pure Al alloy, the graphene/Al composites showed increased strength and hardness. A tensile strength of 255 MPa was achieved for the graphene/Al com- posite with only 0.3wt% graphene, which has a 25% increase over the tensile strength of the pure Al matrix. Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the morphol- ogies, chemical compositions, and microstructures of the graphene and the graphene/A1 composites. On the basis of fractographic evidence, a relevant fracture mechanism is proposed.

Powder Mixing Simulation Using Random Walk Model in Eco-material Preparation

The eco-material composition is not well-distributed in preparation. The eco-material samples were taken for computer image analysis, and its particle numbers and appearance parameters were measured. Based on the mechanism of connective mixing and diffusion, the particles distribution was simulated by a computer using the random walk with Levy flight. The results show that the eco-material microstructure simulated by a computer has an idealized porous structure. The particles distribution has a cluster characteristic that changes with the different size and number of particles in Levy flight trajectory. Each cluster consists of a collection of clusters and shows a structure of self-similar cluster,hence presents a well-defined fractal property. The results obtained from SEM observation are in good agreement with the numerical simulations, and show that the convective mixing presents in the Levy flight walk.

Purity of SiC powders fabricated by coat-mix

Silicon carbide powders were synthesized by the coat-mix process, with phenolic resin and silicon powders as starting materials. The effects of synthetic conditions, including sintering temperature and the molar ratio of resin-derived carbon to silicon on the composition and the purity of the resultant powders were investigated. The results show that a higher sintering temperature and an appropriate molar ratio of resin-derived carbon to silicon are favorable for producing high purity silicon carbide powders. It is found that the silicon carbide content increases slightly with increasing the sintering temperature during the solid-solid reaction. The temperature gradient plays an important role on this trend. When the sintering temperature is raised up to 1500℃, the formation of silicon earbide is based on the liquid-solid reaction, and high purity （99.8wt%） silicon carbide powders can easily be obtained. It can also be found that the optimum molar ratio of resin-derived carbon to silicon is 1：1.

Spheroidization of silica powders by radio frequency inductively coupled plasma with Ar–H2 and Ar–N2 as the sheath gases at atmospheric pressure

Amorphous spherical silica powders were prepared by inductively coupled thermal plasma treatment at a radio frequency of 36.2 MHz. The effects of the added content of hydrogen and nitrogen into argon(serving as the sheath gas), as well as the carrier gas flow rate, on the spheroidization rate of silica powders, were investigated. The prepared silica powders before and after plasma treatment were examined by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and laser granulometric analysis. Results indicated that the average size of the silica particles increased, and the transformation of crystals into the amorphous state occurred after plasma treatment. Discharge image processing was employed to analyze the effect of the plasma temperature field on the spheroidization rate. The spheroidization rate of the silica powder increased with the increase of the hydrogen content in the sheath gas. On the other hand, the spheroidization rate of the silica power first increased and then decreased with the increase of the nitrogen content in the sheath gas. Moreover, the amorphous content increased with the increase of the spheroidization rate of the silica powder.

Preparation of Well Dispersed and Ultra-Fine Ce(Zr)O_2 Mixed Oxide by Mechanochemical Processing

Ultra-fine CeO_2-ZrO_2 mixed oxide was successfully synthesized by wet-solid phase mechanochemical processing, Ce_2(CO_3)_3·8H_2O, ZrOCl_2·xH_2O and ammonia were used as reactants. It is found that the crystalline Ce_2(CO_3)_3·8H_2O and ZrOCl_2·xH_2O are changed to amorphous cerium and zirconium hydroxide precursor after milling with ammonia, and Ce_(0.15)Zr_(0.85)O_2 mixed oxide with pure tetragonal phase structure and medium particle size(D_(50))less than 1μm is formed by calcining precursor over 673 K. The XRD patterns indicate that the crystal unite size increases with rising calcining temperature due to crystal growth. However, the particle size and BET surface area of the Ce(Zr)O_2 mixed oxide decreases with rising calcining temperature, which may be attributed to the contract of particles and the vanish of holes inside grains.

Solid liquid Mixed Casting of Al-Si Alloy

The paper presents a novel material preparation technology—Solid liquid mixed casting technology. In the technology, large amounts of homogeneous alloy powder or heterogenous powder with perfect wettability are added into the superheated melt. After strong agitation, the mixed melt can be cast or hot processed. Applying solid liquid mixed casting, three kinds of Al Si alloys were investigated. The results show that, when the mass of powder accession to alloy melt is about 1, the mean size of primary Si in hyper eutectic alloy can be controlled at less than 5 μm; and the mean grain size of α phase in hypo eutectic alloy is less than 10 μm. This technology has the advantage of preparing material with very fine microstructure by fairly simple casting process, and may be a new practicable and valuable metal preparation technology.

Extrusion behavior of micro-nanostructured Al-18%Si alloy powders

The extrusion of Al-Si alloy powders with different particle sizes allows manufacture of different products with unique microstructures and therefore with unique mechanical properties. The effects of powder size on the extrusion behavior and process defect of Al-18%Si alloy were studied by means of microscopy (optical, scanning electron) and density determination. The main objective of the work is to demonstrate the influence of the powder material characteristics on final density and quality of bar. The results show that the bigger the powder particles, the better the performance of cold compacting. The surface of alloy bar extruded from big particles has good quality without cracking. While the smaller the powder particles, the higher the density and the better the microstructure and mechanical properties. For practice application, the mixed powders are better than single powder.

In-situ powder mixing for laser-based directed energy deposition of functionally graded materials

The mixing of powders is a highly relevant field under additive manufacturing,however,it has attracted limited interest to date.The in-situ mixing of various powders remains a significant challenge.This paper proposes a new method utilizing a static mixer for the in-situ mixing of multiple powders through the laser-based directed energy deposition(DED)of functionally graded materials.Firstly,a powder-mixing experimental platform was established;WC and 316L powders were selected for the mixing experiments.Secondly,scanning electron microscopy,energy dispersive spectroscopy,and image processing were used to visually evaluate the homogeneity and proportion of the in-situ mixed powder.Furthermore,powder-mixing simulations were conducted to determine the powder-mixing mechanism.In the simulations,a powder carrier gas flow field and particle mixing were employed.Finally,a WC/316L metal matrix composite sample was produced using laser-based DED to verify the application potential of the static mixer.It was found that the static mixer could adjust the powder ratio online,and a response time of 1–2 s should be considered when adjusting the ratio of the mixed powder.A feasible approach for in-situ powder mixing for laser-based DED was demonstrated and investigated,creating the basis for functionally graded materials.

Influence of dysprosium substitution on magnetic and mechanical properties of high intrinsic coercivity Nd-Fe-B magnets prepared by double-alloy powder mixed method

The double-alloy powder mixed method is very proper for developing new small-mass products by changing the composi- tion of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets, and there is little research on this aspect. The variation on magnetic and mechanical properties of high intrinsic coercivity Nd-Fe-B magnets prepared by double-alloy powder mixed method was discussed, which is a method blend- ing two-type main phase alloy powders with different components. The results showed that the intrinsic coercivity and density of sin- tered Nd-Fe-B magnets increased gradually with the increase in Dy content, and the double-alloy powder mixed method could obtain high intrinsic coercivity Nd-Fe-B magnets with good crystallographic alignment and microstructure. The bending strength of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets declined, and the Rockwell hardness of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets first declined, and then increased with the in- crease in Dy content. The microstructure showed that there existed the phenomenon that the Dy element diffused into main phase dur- ing sintering process, and the distribution of Dy content in main phase had some variation in homogeneity as a result of incomplete reaction between the double-alloy powder types.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical behavior of Ni-based single crystal superalloy joint brazed with mixed powder at elevated temperature

Brazing of a Ni-based single crystal superalloy has been investigated with the additive Ni-based superalloy and filler Ni–Cr–W–B alloy at 1260℃, and attentions were paid to the microstructure evolution during brazing and the stress-rupture behavior at 980℃ of such brazed joints after homogenization. Microstructure in the brazed joint generally includes brazing alloy zone（BAZ）, isothermally solidified zone（ISZ） and diffusion affected zone（DAZ）. Microstructure evolution during this brazing process is discussed at the heating stage, the holding stage and the cooling stage respectively, according to the diffusion path of B atoms. Initially well-distributed γ’/γ’ microstructure in the homogenized bonded zone after heat treatment and substantial γ’ rafts enhance the post-brazed joint to obtain a stress-rupture lifetime of more than 120 h at 980℃/250 MPa. On the other hand, the decreased stress-rupture behavior of post-brazed joint, compared with parenting material, is ascribed to the presence of inside brazing porosity and stray grain boundary, which not only reduces the effective loading-carrying area but also offers preferential sites for creep vacancy aggregation to further soften stray grain boundary. And finally an early fracture of these post-brazed joints through the intergranular microholes aggregation and growth mode under this testing condition was observed.

Characterization of nanoparticle mixed 316L powder for additive manufacturing

Nanoparticles reinforced steels have many advantaged mechanical properties.Additive manufacturing offers a new method for fabricating nanoparticles reinforced high performance metal components.In this work,we report the application of low energy ball milling in mixing nanoparticles and micron 316 L powder.With this method,0.3 and 1.0 wt% Y2 O3 nanoparticles can be uniformly distributed on the surface of 316 L powder with the parameters of ball-to-powder ratio at 1:1,speed at 90 rpm and 7 h of mixing.The matrix 316 L powders remain spherical in shape after the mixing process.In the meantime,the effect of low energy ball milling and the addition of Y2 O3 nanoparticles on the powder characteristics(flowability,apparent density and tap density) are also studied.Results show that the process of low energy ball milling itself can slightly decrease the flowability and apparent density of the 316 L powder.The addition of 0.3 and 1.0 wt% Y2 O3 nanoparticles can also decrease the flowability,the tap density and the apparent density compared with the original 316 L powder.All of these changes result from the rough surface of the mixed powder produced by ball milling and the addition of Y2 O3 nanoparticles.The powder’s rough surface can increase the coefficient of friction of powders.The mixture of 316 L powder and Y2 O3 nanoparticles can be successfully used for selective laser melting(SLM).The relative density of SLM 316 L-Y2 O3 is measured at 99.5%.However,Y2 O3 agglomerations were observed which is due to the poor wettability between 316 L and Y2 O3.

FE SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION OF POWDER MIXED EDM PROCESS FOR ESTIMATING THE TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION AND VOLUME REMOVED IN SINGLE CRATER

This study reports the results of a finite element simulation of powder mixed electric discharge machining process for H11 Hot Die steel material using relevant boundary conditions and reasonable assumptions.The crater shape was developed using simulated temperature profiles to estimate the volume removed in a single crater.The temperature distribution on the workpiece was used to predict the cooling rate and calculate the stresses generated due to thermal loading.Subsequently,the simulation results were experimentally validated by physically measuring the crater shape and volume.From the results it was concluded that about 25%of heat is transmitted to the workpiece during machining at the process conditions used in the experiment.The microscopic pictures showed bigger craters with increase in current.The machined surface showed overlapping craters with surface cracks suggesting a high cooling rate.