Electrochemical oxidation analysis for dressing bronze-bonded diamond grinding wheels

Electrochemical dressing of fine-grained metalbonded diamond grinding wheels enables to grind hard and brittle materials in the ductile mode. Optical surfaces can be manufactured by grinding, which reduces the need for subsequent, time-consuming polishing work. When using metal-bonded grinding wheels, the emerging oxides regulate the electrochemical dissolution. Bronze-bonded grinding wheels are more suitable for grinding cemented carbides and ceramics than iron-bonded grinding wheels, as it is easier to modify their chemical composition to suit a specific grinding task. They can also be sintered at lower temperatures, which reduces the risk of thermal damage to the diamond. In this paper, the dissolution and the oxidation of different bronze alloys are characterized for the electrochemical dressing process. The relevant evaluation criteria are the oxide layer thickness, the electrical behavior and the different emerging bronze alloy oxides.