Effect of UEVC parameters on cutting surface quality and subsurface damage of single crystal γ-TiAl alloy via atomic simulation

TiAl alloys are favored by the aerospace industry due to its excellent mechanical properties. However, its intrinsic brittleness, the use of conventional cutting (CC) process leads to the problems of high cutting force and high cutting temperature, which in turn affects the machined surface quality. Ultrasonic elliptical vibratory cutting (UEVC) has been proved to be an effective method to improve the surface quality and reduce the subsurface damage of difficult-to-machine materials. This paper compares the effects of CC and UEVC processes on cutting forces and subsurface damage based on molecular dynamics simulation methods, and the effects of elliptical vibration frequencies and amplitude ratios (AR) on surface morphology, roughness, and subsurface damage are investigated. The results show that the cutting force and subsurface damage in the UEVC process are reduced compared with that in the CC. Due to the vibration frequency, the subsurface damage is mainly dominated by atomic clusters, and both surface and subsurface masses show an optimization trend as the vibration frequency decreases. In terms of the AR, the surface quality is better at an AR of 2/3, with less activation of immovable dislocations, and the degree of subsurface damage decreases as the AR increases, and a relatively stable defective structure emerges when the AR is 1/2. The simulation results facilitate an atomic-scale comprehension of the removal mechanism of UEVC and further provide a theoretical foundation for the surface mass and subsurface damage mechanism and optimization of vibrational parameters of UEVC single crystal γ-TiAl alloy.