The effect upon the grinding wheel active surface condition when impregnating with non-metallic elements during internal cylindrical grinding of titanium

•Grinding wheels impregnate with sulphur and allotropic carbon variants were proposed.•Impregnation methods were described.•Application of the graphite allowed for a 10-fold reduction in the number of smeared areas.

The following article describes the results of experimental works connected with the possibility of limiting the adhesion of grinding products to the grinding wheel active surface, as a result of introducing an impregnate, in the form of sulphur or allotropic carbon variants, into the grinding wheel volume. The methods of sulphurizing, as well as impregnation with graphite and amorphous carbon, were described. The results of experimental tests conducted in the internal cylindrical reciprocal grinding process in Titanium Grade 2® alloy, using impregnated grinding wheels, were presented and compared to the results of grinding with a non-impregnated grinding wheel. What was also determined was the influence of the type of impregnate on the grinding wheel active surface stereometric features after the grinding process, especially the degree to which smearing with machined material chips occurred. Moreover, the influence of impregnation on the machined surface roughness was also estimated. The results of the conducted experiments indicate that application of the impregnate, in the form of graphite, allowed for a 10-fold reduction in the number of smeared areas in comparison with the non-impregnated grinding wheel.