Effect of Abrasive Waterjet Machining on LaPO4/Y2O3 Ceramic Matrix Composite

Abstract

LaPO4/Y2O3 composite is identified as potential materials that possess low thermal conductivity and superior hardness and finds its application as high thermal barrier material and also a functional material. The objective of the study is to exhibit the correlation of three independent parameters of AWJM on LaPO4/Y2O3 composite prepared by Aqueous Sol-Gel process by response surface method (RSM). Jet pressure (JP), stand-of distance (SOD) and traverse speed (TS) are taken as the three independent parameters of AWJM. Effects of these parameters are measured and validated through three dependent responses of material removal rate (MRR), Kerf angle (KA) and surface roughness (Ra). To perform the experimental observations, central composite design (CCD) of L20 orthogonal array is used. Garnet of 80 meshes is used as abrasive. The microstructure of the cut region has plastic deformation surface with micro wear track and crack. Through RSM, it is identified that the three independent parameters have equal contributions on MRR and KA, where SOD has a significant effect on Ra.