Development of a novel bulk metallic glass bonded single-layer diamond wheel

Abstract

A novel manufacturing process was employed to develop a single-layer diamond wheel using bulk metallic glass (BMG) as the matrix and diamond particles as abrasives. BMG effectively prevented graphitisation and damage to the diamond abrasives because of its lower manufacturing temperature and avoidance of brazing flux. The Titanium (Ti) coating on the surface of diamond abrasives facilitated the formation of an interleaved dissolution-diffusion interface between the two constituents, creating mechanical occlusion at the BMG-diamond interface. The strong and tight bonding interface afforded a diamond abrasive joint strength of up to 112.59 N, with the main shear failure mode being transgranular fracture instead of pull-off failure. Furthermore, the manufactured BMG-bonded single-layer diamond wheel predominantly exhibited attritious wear instead of the exfoliation of abrasives when grinding Al₂O₃ ceramics. Compared with contemporary electroplated grinding wheels, the developed diamond wheel demonstrated a reduction in the normal and tangential grinding forces of 32.64% and 35.86%, respectively, and a 28.22% increase in the grinding ratio, making it an excellent candidate for grinding hard and brittle materials.