Understanding the machining characteristic of plain weave ceramic matrix composite in ultrasonic-assisted grinding

The machining of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic matrix composites is a significant challenge because of the severe material damage that may occur during material removal, which might shorten the service life of the composite parts. In this study, the effects of different fibre orientations of two-dimensional woven carbon-fibre-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites (2D-Cf/SiC) on the grinding force, surface roughness, and surface/subsurface micromorphology were investigated to clarify the material removal and breakage mechanism in ultrasonic-assisted grinding of ceramic matrix composites. The results show that the predominant material removal mode in ultrasonic-assisted grinding is brittle fracture. The forms of material breakage are matrix cracking, fibre fracture, fibre pull-out, interfacial debonding, and interfacial fracture. Compared with conventional grinding, the normal force, tangential force, and surface roughness in ultrasonic-assisted grinding decreased by approximately 20%, 18%, and 9%, respectively. The machining parameters significantly impacted the grinding force and surface roughness. The material removal modes varied for different fibre orientations. Ultrasonic-assisted grinding can effectively decrease the grinding force and improve the surface integrity. The findings of this study can be applied to predict the grinding force and surface integrity of 2D-Cf/SiC and contribute to the design and manufacturing of this type of material.