Precision grinding of cemented carbides based on a multi-layer brazed diamond wheel using an electrolyte containing carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were added into the electrolyte to improve electrolytic dressing grinding performance of a brazed multi-layer diamond wheel containing titanium. The effect of CNTs on the electrolytic dressing performance of the grinding wheel was studied. The grinding force, residual stress, roughness and morphology of the machined surfaces were recorded in the grinding experiment of cemented carbides, and the grinding performance was evaluated based on these. The experiment results expressed that the CNTs improved the electrolytic dressing performance of the grinding wheel, which allows the worn grits to smoothly fall off and maintain the sharpness. The grinding force and residual stress were reduced when the CNTs were added into the electrolyte. Moreover, there was a grand advancement in the machined surface quality when the CNTs were used as an additive to the electrolyte. The machined surfaces produced by the brazed wheel using an electrolyteadded CNTs showed predominantly smooth grinding marks. Ductile-mode removal was predominantly observed in the grinding experiments. Adding CNTs to an electrolyte can help achieve high-precision grinding of difficult-to-cut materials with a brazed multi-layer diamond wheel.