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Performance Evaluation of Electrical Discharge Machining using Ultrafine-Grained Cu Electrodes Processed by Equal Channel Angular Pressing and Deep Cryogenic Treatment

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Abstract

The role of the electrode in electric discharge machining (EDM) performance is crucial because it has an impact on the geometrical accuracy, machining efficiency and surface finish of the machined components. In the present work, a new technical approach combining equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) was put forward to manufacture copper electrodes for enhancing the machining characteristics of electric discharge machining (EDM). Effects of the ECAP, the ECAP + DCT on the EDM performances including the electrode wear rate (EWR), the workpiece corner sharpness (WCS), the surface roughness (Ra) and the surface characteristics of EDM workpieces have been investigated. The EWR after the ECAP and the ECAP + DCT was reduced to the minimum after two passes of ECAP. The EWR and WCS after the ECAP + DCT were less than that after the ECAP due to the higher hardness and electrical conductivity. The Ra of EDM workpieces using electrodes processed by the ECAP + DCT was slightly less than that after ECAP. An analogous Hall–Petch relation between the Ra of EDM workpieces and the grain size of electrodes was observed, indicating that ultrafine-grained electrodes processed by ECAP and the additional DCT would enhance the surface finish. The surface finish of EDM workpieces was discussed based on the features of the surface morphology.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51561001), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), the Top-notch Academic Programs Project of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (TAPP), and the Science and Technology Project of Changzhou, P. R. China (Nos. CZ20180016 and CE20170028).

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Author notes

  1. Kun Xia Wei and Zhu Qi Chu have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, 1 Gehu Road, Changzhou, 213164, People’s Republic of China

    Kun Xia Wei, Zhu Qi Chu, Li Chen Yang, Wei Wei, Qing Bo Du & Jing Hu

  2. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Materials Surface Science and Technology, Sino-Russia Joint Laboratory of Functional Nanostructured Materials, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, People’s Republic of China

    Kun Xia Wei, Zhu Qi Chu, Li Chen Yang, Wei Wei, Qing Bo Du, Igor V. Alexandrov & Jing Hu

  3. Department of Physics, Ufa State Aviation Technical University, 12 K. Marx St., Ufa, Russia, 450008

    Igor V. Alexandrov

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  1. Kun Xia Wei
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  2. Zhu Qi Chu
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  3. Li Chen Yang
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  4. Wei Wei
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  5. Qing Bo Du
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  6. Igor V. Alexandrov
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  7. Jing Hu
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Correspondence to Wei Wei or Igor V. Alexandrov.

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Wei, K.X., Chu, Z.Q., Yang, L.C. et al. Performance Evaluation of Electrical Discharge Machining using Ultrafine-Grained Cu Electrodes Processed by Equal Channel Angular Pressing and Deep Cryogenic Treatment. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 30, 281–289 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-020-05351-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-020-05351-2

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