High speed grinding characteristics and machinability of WC-10Co-4Cr coatings deposited via high velocity oxygen fuel spraying

Tungsten carbide cobalt coatings are widely employed for fabricating the parts used in corrosive and abrasive environments. The coatings are often deposited on substrates via high velocity oxygen fuel spraying, which are relatively hard and brittle and difficult to machine. This work systematically investigated the effect of high speed grinding conditions on the removal characteristics and machinability of WC-10Co-4Cr coatings. The wheel speed was found to have significant effect on grinding force and temperature. The subsurface damage could be considerably reduced when the grinding conditions were judiciously selected. The high speed grinding process being developed produced a satisfactory subsurface damage layer of smaller than 15 mm without spalling and large cracking that were usually observed in conventional grinding, suggesting its suitability for post-processing of the coating/substrate system.