Reaction bonded silicon carbide (RB-SiC) is widely used in the aerospace industry because of its excellent physical and mechanical properties. However, owing to its high hardness and wear resistance, achieving the precise machining of RB-SiC has become a challenge. Ultrasonic-assisted grinding technology has the potential to significantly enhance machining efficiency and minimize surface damage when machining hard and brittle materials. This method is widely considered the optimal approach for machining RB-SiC. Investigating the material-removal mechanism in ultrasonic-assisted grinding is crucial for promoting the application of this technology. A finite element simulation and an experiment on the axial ultrasonic-assisted scratching of RB-SiC were performed, and the material-removal behavior in the ultrasonic-assisted grinding process was studied. Changes in the cross-sectional profile, scratch force, material-removal ability, and surface morphology of the scratches at different scratch depths and ultrasonic amplitudes were compared and analyzed. The effects of axial ultrasonic vibration on the removal behavior of RB-SiC materials were discussed in combination with the strain rate and crack propagation behavior. Compared with conventional scratching, axial ultrasonic-assisted scratching effectively decreased the scratching force and increased the material-removal ability. The maximum reduction value of normal scratching force was 56.73%. The material-removal ability could even reach 24.04 times, which could significantly improve the processing efficiency. The research conducted in this study offers theoretical guidance for understanding the mechanism of damage formation and suppression strategies to control it in the ultrasonic-assisted grinding of RB-SiC.
The full text can be downloaded at https://doi.org/10.1007/s40436-025-00573-w
Zhi-Gang Dong
,
Bao-Rong Li
,
Zhong-Wang Wang
,
Xiao-Guang Guo
,
Jian-Song Sun
. Removal mechanism of RB-SiC using axial ultrasonic-assisted scratching[J]. Advances in Manufacturing, 2026
, 14(2)
: 416
-436
.
DOI: 10.1007/s40436-025-00573-w
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