Experimental study on abrasive waterjet polishing for hard–brittle materials

The rapid growth of hard–brittle materials necessitates the development of compatible machining techniques, especially for the precision machining. The abrasive waterjet (AWJ) machining is a powerful tool in processing hard–brittle materials. In the last decades, some of AWJ machining technologies, such as AWJ cutting, AWJ milling and AWJ drilling have gradually become mature and steady. However, a few investigations on precision surface machining for hard–brittle materials by AWJ had been carried out. In this research, the ductile erosion mechanism of hard–brittle materials by AWJ in small erosion angle has been analyzed. In theory, the ductile erosion can achieve micromaterial removal and the surface eroded is smooth and without any fracture. Based on the ductile erosion mechanism, the feasibility of polishing for hard–brittle materials by the AWJ has been investigated. A group of polishing experiments is performed. The polished surfaces of workpieces were observed with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results of these polishing experiments indicate that AWJ has a great potential to be used as a precision surface machining technology.