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Study on the Effect of Electrolytes on Processing Efficiency and Accuracy of Titanium Alloy Utilizing Laser and Shaped Tube Electrochemical Machining

Authors :
Chenyu Sun
Yufeng Wang
Yong Yang
Zhehe Yao
Yunfeng Liu
Qiang Wu
Jie Yan
Jianhua Yao
Wenwu Zhang
Source :
Materials, Vol 17, Iss 3, p 689 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Electrochemical machining (ECM) has become more prevalent in titanium alloy processing. However, the presence of the passivation layer on the titanium alloys significantly impacts the performance of ECM. In an attempt to overcome the passivation effects, a high-temperature electrolyte or the addition of halogen ions to the electrolyte has been used. Still, it often results in compromised machining accuracy and surface roughness. This study applied laser and shaped tube electrolytic machining (Laser-STEM) for titanium alloy drilling, where the laser was guided to the machining zone via total internal reflection. The performance of Laser-STEM using different types of electrolytes was compared. Further, the effects of laser power and pulse voltage on the machining side gap, material removal rate (MRR), and surface roughness were experimentally studied while drilling small holes in titanium alloy. The results indicated that the use of passivating electrolytes improved the machining precision, while the MRR decreased with an increase in laser power during Laser-STEM. The MRR showed an increase while using aggressive electrolytes; however, at the same time, the machining precision deteriorated with the increase in laser power. Particularly, the maximum feeding rate of 6.0 mm/min for the tool electrode was achieved using NaCl solution as the electrolyte during Laser-STEM, marking a 100% increase compared to the rate without the use of a laser. Moreover, the model and equivalent circuits were also established to illustrate the material removal mechanisms of Laser-STEM in different electrolytes. Lastly, the processing of deep small holes with a diameter of 1.5 mm, a depth of 38 mm, and a surface roughness of Ra 2 µm was achieved via Laser-STEM without the presence of a recast layer and heat-affected zones. In addition, the cross-inner flow channels in the titanium alloys were effectively processed.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19961944 and 58881298
Volume :
17
Issue :
3
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Materials
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.5888129821684170816abdb306288775
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17030689