Influence of wire-electric discharge machining process parameters on surface integrity of Ni-rich Ni-Ti-Hf alloys

Abstract

Ni-Ti-Hf Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have shown promising results in high-temperature applications in aviation, space and energy exploration, actuators, etc. In the past decade, extensive work has been carried out to understand the behavior of High-Temperature SMAs (HTSMAs). NiTi-based SMAs are grouped as hard-to-machine materials, and machining these materials through traditional methods leads to high tool wear, dimensional inaccuracy, degradation of Shape Memory properties, etc. Therefore, Non-Conventional machining processes are a better choice for machining these alloys. It is evident from previous studies that Wire Electric Discharge Machining (WEDM) yields better results compared to other processes. The current study investigates the effect of WEDM input variables such as servo gap voltage (SV), spark-ON duration (TON), wire electrode feed rate (WF), and spark-OFF duration (TOFF) on the machining of Ni-Ti-Hf HTMSAs. The surface integrity of the machined samples was analyzed by investigating characteristics like machined surface morphology, machined surface quality, subsurface microhardness, and recast layer thickness. TON emerged as the most critical parameter for surface roughness and Material Removal Rate. Various defects like micro-cracks, micro-pores, craters, and globules were found on the machined surfaces, and approximately 30% harder surface was found near the machined region. The average thickness of the recast layer observed for Hf-15 and Hf-20 samples was around 12 μm and 50 μm for samples with lower and higher discharge energies, respectively.