Wire electrochemical discharge machining (WECDM) of quartz glass with titrated electrolyte flow

• This study resolved the difficulty of electrolyte circulation in the machining area.
• Stirring effect was achieved by coalescent growth of oxygen and hydrogen bubbles.
• Pulse current produced by titration process enhanced machining accuracy and efficacy.
• Consuming less electrolyte and localized machining saved cost and reduced pollution.

Electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) is a promising technique with great potential for application to machining non-conductive brittle materials. In this study, wire electrochemical discharge machining (WECDM) was applied to processing quartz glass with electrolyte supplied in titrated flow. During WECDM, under surface tension and gravity, the electrolyte flows down in droplets, over the graphite auxiliary electrode and brass wire, producing oxygen and hydrogen bubbles, respectively. The fluid inside the droplet forms eddies on the two sides of the quartz, removing chips and electrolysis resultants. Rapid replenishment of electrolyte to constant concentration can ensure even distribution of current density and a stable insulation gas film can thus be formed. Experimental results show that quartz glass processed by WECDM with titrated electrolyte flow yielded long straight slits of small mean width. In addition, with the electrolyte supplied in droplets, less electrolyte is consumed in the process. The proposed droplet titration approach to WECDM of quartz glass incurs less cost and pollution, making it both cost effective and environmental friendly.