Study on surface quality of CNTs/2009Al composites in grinding process with a volume fraction ratio of 3%

Abstract

Composite materials made of aluminum-based carbon nanotubes (CNTs/Al) are often employed in industries like aerospace and national defense that place a high priority on material processing accuracy at the material’s surface. The most popular machining technique for enhancing the surface quality of materials is grinding. This paper built a prediction model for the surface roughness of CNTs/2009Al composites and identified the process of micro-grinding. Using the ABAQUS software, a non-uniform finite element simulation model of the single abrasive grain grinding process of CNTs/2009AL composites was created. An electroplated diamond grinding rod with a diameter of 2 mm was used in the micro-grinding experiment on the CNTs/2009Al composite, and the impact of the grinding parameters on the quality of the machined surface was examined. According to the findings, the feed speed has the least impact on the material’s surface roughness, whereas the spindle speed and grinding depth both have a significant impact. The measurement of the minimal roughness is 0.117 m. A shallower grinding depth, a lower feed rate, and a correspondingly higher spindle speed should be used in order to provide a superior surface quality. According to the prediction model of micro-grinding surface roughness and laser confocal microscope scanning, the primary phenomena of CNTs in the grinding process include pull-out, fracture, and elastic deformation.