Analysis of the wear of a resin-bonded diamond wheel in the grinding of tungsten carbide

Abstract This paper describes experimental results using a resin-bonded diamond wheel in the vertical dry grinding of P10 grade tungsten carbide. The conditions of the diamond abrasive cutting edge on the worn wheel surface, the bonding state between the abrasives and the matrix, and the grinding performance were investigated. It was found that for interrupted dry grinding, the abrasive cutting edges occurring on the worn wheel surface are mainly of protrusive (good) particles and the number of pull-out holes is also high as well, leading the wheel to produce a higher grinding ratio. However, under a greater stock removal rate, the grinding ratio would be reduced rapidly. When continuous dry grinding was employed, the resulting worn abrasives produce a greater proportion of particle pull-out and coated grit exposed on the wheel surface, thereby causing very poor grinding performance. Graphite fillers added to the resin bond have a positive influence on the grinding performance of the wheel in dry grinding. In addition, the roughness of the ground surface is similar to that effected by mechanical polishing.