Grinding of ceramics: Strength, surface features and grinding conditions

The strength dependence of ceramics on microstructure, surface features and grinding conditions were studied in this work. A SiC and three 12Ce-TZPs w ith different grain sizes were ground under specific grinding conditions us ing two diamond-grinding machines. The normal grinding force increases with table speed, depth of cut and removal rate. Examination of the surface fea tures show that the surface roughness in SiC and 12Ce-TZPs and the stress-i nduced t-m transformation in the 12Ce-TZPs strongly depend on the grinding conditions. The bending strength of the 12Ce-TZP with smaller grain size is not sensitive to the imposed grinding conditions. The strength of the 12Ce -TZP with the largest grain size and the SiC, however, is more sensitive to the grinding conditions. For the 12Ce-TZPs the grain size and the amount o f the stress-induced t-m transformation dominate their strength.