Electrochemical Turning of (TiB + TiC)/TC4 Composites Using a Rectangular Cathode

Abstract

The application of titanium metal matrix composites (Ti-MMCs) in the aerospace industry has increased significantly owing to their excellent mechanical properties. However, these properties also make Ti-MMCs difficult to machine. Many problems can occur with traditional turning, such as tool damage and low efficiency remain. Electrochemical machining is not limited by the physical properties of metal materials, making it an ideal machining method for Ti-MMCs, but there have been few articles evaluating electrochemical turning (ECT) in this application. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use a cathode tool with a rectangular end face to realize the ECT of particle reinforced Ti-MMCs. Parametric experiments were conducted by varying the machining voltage, workpiece rotation speed, electrolyte pressure, and axial offset to determine their effects on the intermittent feed ECT of a cylindrical workpiece. Finally, intermittent feed ECT was performed on the cylindrical surface with the preferred machining parameters, and a machining area with a circular arc area of 4124 mm2, an average radial removal depth of 1.19 mm, and an average circular arc radius of 42.44 mm was obtained on the cylindrical workpiece, which verified the practical performance of the intermittent feed ECT method for machining titanium matrix composites.