On the grindability of low-carbon steel under dry, cryogenic and neat oil environments with monolayer brazed cBN and alumina wheels

Abstract

Grinding of low-carbon steel often exhibits severe wheel loading due to the formation of long chips and high adhering tendency of the work material with the grits. Conventional composite-type alumina wheels are commercially utilised for grinding low-carbon steel. However, the actual nature of grit wear cannot be truly understood in a composite wheel. The truing and dressing conditions also have some influences on the wear mechanism. Therefore, in order to explore the wear pattern on a single layer of grits, monolayer brazed cBN, white and grey Al2O3 wheels were used in the present study. The grindability of AISI 1020 steel was evaluated under dry, liquid nitrogen and neat oil environments. The surface profile of the workpiece after being ground in each environmental condition was traced with a surface profilometer to reveal the mechanism of grit wear. The post-grinding conditions of the wheels were observed using scanning electron microscopy. The cBN wheel was found to outperform the alumina wheels in terms of grinding forces and grit wear. The wear of the cBN wheel was remarkably arrested with the application of neat oil. On the other hand, large-scale adhesion and breakage of grits in white alumina wheel were observed under cryogenic environment. In fact, the beneficial role of liquid nitrogen could not be realised in reducing grinding forces and grit wear with all the three types of wheel. A lubricating agent like neat oil appeared to be more suitable than cryogenic cooling when grinding low-carbon steel.