Laser-Induced Deterioration Grinding of Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) – Generation of Layer Patterns and Performance Evaluation

Abstract

Laser-induced deterioration was proposed for the wet grinding of zirconium oxide (ZrO2) ceramic used in the dental, semiconductor and automotive industries. The mechanisms for laser induced deterioration and wet grinding of the deterioration layer were theoretically analysed, and the four key processing parameters that determine the micro-topography and distribution of the laser-induced crater were proposed, including the laser power density Ip, the defocus distance z, the laser spot overlap ratio Us and the laser scanning track line overlap ratio Ul. Further, the forming mechanism of the single pulse-induced crater under different laser power densities, the defocus distance, and the interaction mechanisms between adjacent spots along the longitudinal and transverse directions were investigated. The optimal values of the key processing parameters were identified. To further evaluate the effect of laser-induced deterioration objectively, a comparative experiment was conducted under laser-induced deterioration wet grinding (LIDWG) and conventional grinding (CG) conditions. It was found that the procedure of laser-induced deterioration had a strong influence on the grinding results. The normal and tangential grinding forces for LIDWG condition were lower than for CG condition, with a maximum reduction of 59.2% (62.9%).