MTU RESEARCHERS EXPLORE
HIGH SPEED CERAMIC GRINDING
HOUGHTON, MI--An automobile with ceramic engine valves would allow for a higher engine temperature than current metal valves, and the higher temperature would provide better fuel economy. Unfortunately, the cost of ceramics makes their use in valves infeasible.
But now, two Michigan Tech researchers are working to find a technique that would produce low cost, high quality ceramics for industrial use. Dr. Abhijit Chandra and Dr. Ghatu Subhash of Michigan Tech's Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, has received a $278,956 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a $10,000 Research Experience for Undergraduates Supplement, also from the NSF.
Due to the brittle nature of ceramics, defects are common. There are currently two types of ceramics produced, high precision parts at a very high cost, and commercial parts, which are produced at a lower cost, but with some defects. Chandra hopes to find a new technique for high speed grinding and polishing, which will produce "the quality needed, but bring the costs down."
"Sixty to eighty percent of the cost is in the finishing process; we hope to address this cost," he explains. He will experiment with introducing high frequency vibrations, called modulations to the process. These vibrations could result in a 30-50 percent reduction in damage depth, or 60-80 percent more material produced at the same damage depth. Chandra believes this work "could have significant impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of finished brittle materials, including structural ceramic parts and optical components, as well as the processing of silicon wafers for electronic applications."
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02/18/99-MTN026