Laser-Assisted Rapid Surface Microstructuring of Alumina Ceramic

该奖项的研究目标是开发一种激光辅助陶瓷快速表面微结构的新技术，该技术在一系列结构、电子和生物医学应用中具有潜力。在目前的努力中，将探索用于精密磨削/机械加工特定目的的氧化铝的技术。该方法基于对具有多个边和顶点特征的高度有序和多边形面颗粒的工程。该提案将加深对快速凝固引起的结晶学和表面形态结构演变的理解。这些信息将被用于根据材料去除速率来预测加工/磨削性能。采用基于实验和建模方法的综合方法来理解激光表面微结构形成过程中的物理现象，并评价其对精密磨削性能的影响。建模工作将集中在温度演变、组织演变和磨削性能上，最终将建立工艺-组织-性能之间的关联。拟议研究的成功实施将导致开发一种基于激光的技术，用于快速改造商用氧化铝砂轮，以实现高效和精密(微米级)的加工/磨削。光纤传输的激光光束的非接触性将促进具有微切削刃和顶点的多面颗粒表面微结构的远程和在线或同时工程，用于材料的微尺度精密加工/磨削。由于激光加工的快速性，实验和计算建模的集成将基于热力学/动力学原理的扩展到近平衡和/或非平衡条件。技术的发展和对潜在物理现象的了解将有助于将其推广到其他磨削/加工材料系统，如CBN和钻石。这项研究将通过建立实验和计算基础作为下一代工程设计工具，为微观层面的工程表面奠定基础。该项目由土木、机械和制造创新(CMMI)部门的材料加工和制造(MPM)计划、化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统(CBET)部门的热传输过程(TTP)计划、EPSCoR和工程局(ENG)提供的资金共同资助。

The research objective of this award is the development of a novel technique of laser-assisted rapid surface microstructuring of ceramics with potential in a range of structural, electronic, and biomedical applications. In the present effort, the technique will be explored for alumina for the specific purpose of precision grinding/machining. The approach is based on engineering of highly ordered and polygonal faceted surface grains characterized by multiple edges and vertices. The proposal will develop an understanding of evolution of crystallographic and morphological surface textures due to rapid solidification. This information will be employed in prediction of the machining/grinding performance in terms of material removal rates. An integrative approach based on experimental and modeling methodologies will be adapted to understand the physical phenomena during laser surface microstructuring and its influence on precision grinding performance will be evaluated. Modeling efforts will be focused on temperature evolution, microstructure evolution, and grinding performance, and finally processing-microstructure-property correlation will be established. The successful execution of proposed research will lead to development of a laser-based technique for rapid transformation of commercial alumina grinding wheel for efficient and precision (micro-scale) machining/grinding. The non-contact nature of fiber delivered laser beam will facilitate the remote and online or simultaneous engineering of surface microstructure with multi-faceted grains with micro-cutting edges and vertices for micro-scale precision machining/grinding of materials. Due to the rapid nature of laser processing, integration of experimental and computational modeling will be based on extension of thermodynamic/kinetic principals to near- and/or non-equilibrium conditions. The development of technique and understanding of underlying physical phenomena will facilitate its extension to other grinding/machining material systems such as cBN and diamond. This research will establish a basis for engineering surfaces at microscopic level through creation of experimental and computational foundations as next-generation engineering design tool.This project is jointly funded by the Materials Processing & Manufacturing (MPM) Program, of the Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) Division; by the Thermal Transport Processes (TTP) Program, of the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET) Division; by EPSCoR, and by funding provided from the Directorate for Engineering (ENG) to support Inter Divisional Research.