Methods of grinding workpieces comprising superabrasive materials

• US 9,056,380 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2011
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Abrasives Incorporated (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain), Saint-Gobain Abrasifs (Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Abrasives Incorporated (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain), Saint-Gobain Abrasifs (Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA)
• Inventors: Upadhyay, Rachana, Ramanath, Srinivasan, Arcona, Christopher, Gillespie, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carlson, Marc
• Application Number:
  US13/210,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20120040589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 512/98, 513/07, 513/09, 512/93, 451/28, 451/56, 451/72, 451/443
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 1/00 Processes of grinding or polishing; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such processes
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 5/18 involving centreless means for supporting, guiding, floating or rotating work centreless turning B23B5/08; centreless grinding of threads B23G1/42

Abstract

A method of grinding a superabrasive workpiece includes placing a bonded abrasive article in contact with a superabrasive workpiece, wherein the bonded abrasive article comprises a body including abrasive grains contained within a bond material, and the superabrasive workpiece has an average Vickers hardness of at least about 1 GPa, and removing material from the superabrasive workpiece at an average specific grinding energy (SGE) of not greater than about 350 J/mm³, at an average material removal (MRR) rate of at least about 8 mm³/sec for a centerless grinding operation.

Claims

1. A method of grinding a superabrasive workpiece comprising:

placing a bonded abrasive article in contact with a superabrasive workpiece, wherein the bonded abrasive article comprises a body including abrasive grains contained within a bond material comprising an organic material and a metal material, wherein between about 82% and about 97% of the abrasive grains are contained within the metal material of the bond material, and the superabrasive workpiece has an average Vickers hardness of at least about 5 GPa; and

removing material from the superabrasive workpiece at an average specific grinding energy (SGE) of not greater than about 350 J/mm³ at an average material removal (MRR) rate of at least about 8 mm³/sec for a centerless grinding operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the average Vickers hardness of the workpiece is at least about 10 GPa.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the average Vickers hardness of the workpiece is at least about 15 GPa.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the workpiece comprises a superabrasive material selected from the group of materials consisting of diamond, cubic boron nitride, fullerenes, and a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the workpiece comprises a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutting element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the workpiece is a composite material comprising a substrate and an abrasive layer overlying the substrate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the abrasive layer is bonded directly to the substrate.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the abrasive layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, fullerenes, carbides, borides, and a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the abrasive layer has a Mohs hardness of at least about 9.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the workpiece is in the shape of cylindrical body.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the bonded abrasive article is rotated relative to the workpiece at a rate of at least about 900 m/min.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the speed of a regulating wheel is at least about 5 m/min.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein during the step of removing material, material is removed from the workpiece at an average material removal rate (MRR) of at least about 10 mm³/sec.

14. A method of grinding a superabrasive workpiece comprising:

placing a bonded abrasive article in contact with a superabrasive workpiece, wherein the bonded abrasive article comprises a body including abrasive grains contained within a composite bond material including an organic material and a metal material, and wherein the composite bond material comprise a ratio (OM/MM) of organic material (OM) to metal material (MM) of not greater than about 0.25, and wherein between about 82% to about 97% of the abrasive grains are contained within a metal material of the bond material; and

rotating the bonded abrasive article relative to the superabrasive workpiece to remove material from the superabrasive workpiece.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the composite bond material has a fracture toughness of not greater than about 3.0 MPa m^0.5.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the organic material comprises a material selected from the group of materials consisting of polyimides, polyamides, resin, epoxies aramids, polyesters, polyurethanes, and a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the organic material comprises not greater than about 20 vol % of the total volume of the bond material.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the metal material comprises a transition metal element.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the metal material comprises copper and tin.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein metal material comprises at least about 20 vol % of the total volume of the bond material.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the body comprises a porosity of not greater than about 10 vol % of the total volume of the body.