Wear behavior of white alumina and seeded gel abrasive wheels in ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding of nickel-based single-crystal alloy

This study investigated the tool wear behavior of white alumina (WA) and seeded gel (SG) abrasive wheels in the ultrasonic vibration-assisted creep feed grinding (UVACFG) of nickel-based single-crystal alloy. The abrasive wheel wear characteristics were examined, and their effects on the grinding force, temperature, and surface quality were evaluated. Finally, the wheel wear mechanism in the UVACFG was discussed by analyzing the intermittent cutting behavior and wear patterns of a single grain. Experimental results indicated that the workpiece material adhesion and pore-clogging were the main wear patterns of abrasive wheels without ultrasonic vibration. In contrast, these were adequately mitigated after introducing ultrasonic vibration, and the main wear pattern for both wheels became the grain fracture. The WA wheel in the UVACFG experienced reduced radial wear by around 60.7 % in the initial wear state, 40.2 % in the stable wear state, and 25.3 % in the rapid wear stage, respectively, compared to the conventional grinding (CG). The intermittent cutting behavior of SG grains caused by high-frequency vibration promoted the micro-fracture capacity and ensured the coolant entered the grinding zone sufficiently, which reduced the grinding force and temperature by up to 63.2 % and 46.7 %, respectively, and meanwhile introduced the defects of high bulges and slight plastic deformation on the workpiece surface.