Sergej Hloch

Effect of Water Pressure During Abrasive Waterjet Machining of Mg-Based Nanocomposite

The pressure of the waterjet influences the overall performance of the abrasive waterjet cutting system through operational and phenomenological effects. In this study, the effect of water pressure in surface quality of Mg-based nanocomposite was investigated. The as-machined surfaces were examined by field emission scanning electron microscope to determine the surface morphology. The surface topography of selected nanocomposite was examined and compared. The results show that the surface quality is better at higher pressure. However, at lower water pressure, there is too much interaction among the low-energy abrasive particles and this may cause insufficient material removal. Abrasive waterjet cutting seems to be promising tool for machining metal matrix composites in terms of no thermal damages, no micro-structural changes and negligible sub-surface damages on the machined surface.

Microstructure, Properties and Damage Mechanisms by Water Jet Cutting of TiB2-Ti Cermets Prepared by SPS

Process parameters of abrasive water jet (AWJ) machining of TiB2+Ti ceramic matrix composites with 10%, 15% and 20% of Ti reinforcement were investigated. The article focuses on microstructure damage processes and kerf geometry in AWJ machining of TiB2+Ti composites. Two different abrasive water jet cutting speeds and three sorts of composite materials, together with a reference monolithic one, are considered. Microstructure in machined samples was observed using scanning electron microscope. The characteristics of the cuts such as kerf top width, kerf angle and surface roughness were studied. The influence of cutting speed on abrasive process in composites with various amounts of Ti was investigated. It was found that roughness decreases and kerf taper ratio increases with increase in amount of Ti.