Material removal in the optical polishing of hydrophilic polymer materials
The optical polishing of hydrophilic polymer materials is a complex process that requires a comprehensive setting of various operating parameters. Based on a series of experimental investigations and dimensional analysis, this paper presents a simple empirical equation to evaluate material removal in the polishing of optical spherical surfaces of hydrophilic polymer materials. It is shown that the polishing load applied governs the material removal, the relative sliding velocity and the sliding distance between the workpiece and polishing tool surfaces. The equation also offers a good reference for the setting of the polishing variables. # 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.
Effect of tool vibration on chip formation and cutting forces in the machining of fiber-reinforced polymer composites
ABSTRACT This article investigates the chip formation mechanism and its influence on cutting forces during the elliptic vibration-assisted (EVA) cutting of fiber-reinforced polymer composites. To clarify the effect of the vibration, systematic finite element and experimental studies were performed on both the EVA and the traditional cutting of unidirectional fiber-reinforced polymers with various fiber orientations. The key factors that govern the cutting forces have been taken into account, such as the depth of cut, feed rate, tool vibration frequency and amplitude. The study found that fiber orientation significantly affects the chip formation and cutting forces. Fiber fracture can happen either above or below the trimming path, but that above the path dominates chip formation. When a fiber orientation is less than 90°, chipping is mainly through bending-induced fracture of fibers; when it is beyond 90°, however, chipping is mostly by crushing the fracture of fibers. Compared with a traditional cutting process, the EVA cutting can minimize the fiber orientation effect through localized fiber fracture. A dimensional analysis was then performed to provide a quantitative prediction of the cutting forces.
Analysis of the stress wave effect during coal breakage by a high-pressure abrasive air jet
In view of the defects of borehole collapse, inhibition of gas desorption and migration of gas existing in hydraulic fracturing and other hydraulic permeability–increasing measures for soft coal seams with low-permeability technology is proposed for coal breakage by a high-pressure abrasive gas jet for relieving pressure and increasing permeability. The comparative analysis of gas jet flow field structure between convergent nozzle and Laval nozzle has been given by numerical simulation. For Laval nozzle, the expansion wave and compression wave alternate and move forward steadily in gas jet and vanish when potential core length reaches maximum. So, the Laval nozzle can form more stable flow filed structure of gas jet and avoid shock wave in gas jet. Furthermore, a high-speed camera is adopted to analyze the jet structure and verify the conclusion of numerical simulation. Based on thermodynamic theory, this article calculates and analyzes the critical local sound velocity and pressure generated from the stress wave during the process of coal breakage by the gas jet. Furthermore, experimental coal breakage by a high-pressure abrasive gas jet is carried out. The high-pressure abrasive gas jet impacts the coal body as a quasi-static load and a dynamic load and forms corrosion pits on the surface of the coal body. Penetrating cracks are formed within the coal in the pattern of the loaded stress wave which leads to coal breakage. The effects of porosity and permeability on the propagation of the stress wave in coal are analyzed by establishing the dispersion equation for the spread of the stress wave in coal. The results show that porosity has a significant effect on wave velocity and that the attenuation of the stress wave is intensified with an increase in porosity. Moreover, the stress wave attenuation is more obvious at high frequency. The effect of permeability on the wave velocity is not significant at low frequencies. In contrast, at high frequency and relatively low permeability, the wave velocity increases with the permeability, and the attenuation of the wave velocity initially increases and then decreases. When the permeability is greater than 10−11 m2, the wave velocity is not affected by the permeability. However, the stress wave is not attenuated.