Microscopic characterization and modeling of oxide layer for electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID) grinding with focus on voltage, electrode-wheel gap, and coolant flow

Abstract

Electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID) is a grinding technique used to generate high-quality surfaces on hard and brittle material. Oxide layer formed on grinding wheel during ELID grinding heavily influences the surface roughness of the workpiece. To study the microscopic structure of the oxide layer and model the thickness of it, we conducted a previously reported study on metallic-bonded prism samples with major adjustments and implementations. The parameter studied are voltage, electrode-grinding wheel gap, and coolant flow rate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of cross-section of the oxidation sites were captured and compared and oxide layer thickness was accurately measured. All three parameters are found to significantly affect the formation of the oxide layer.