Diamond Turning of Hard-to-cut Materials Assisted by Electric Current

Abstract

In cutting of ferrous metals, diamond tool wears rapidly due to the dissociation of carbon atoms on tool surface by the interaction with clean iron surface. Under the interaction with iron surface, the electrons on back-bonds of carbon atoms on diamond surface transfer into iron atoms, hence, the back-bonds are weakened. Based on the results of the analysis, electric current assisted turning is proposed to suppress tool wear by supplying electrons between tool and workpiece during cutting to prevent the transfer of back-bond electrons from tool to workpiece. Useful results were obtained in cutting experiments of stainless steel by electrical conductive CVD diamond tools supplying direct current of approximately 1A.