Influence of humectant quantity and mixing time on the quality of abrasive stones used in honing processes

Abstract

In the manufacturing process of abrasive stones with cubic boron nitride (CBN) as abrasive and metallic binder, some differences were observed regarding abrasive density at different heights of the stones. If abrasive density is too low, honing stones do not cut the material properly. Honing stones are obtained by means of sintering processes. Previously, a humectant material is added to abrasive grains, and then they are mixed with metallic binder. Humectant is used to assure covering of each abrasive grain with binder. In the present work, along the manufacturing process of honing stones, quality of the mixing process of components was assessed by means of two different parameters: covering degree of grains by binder (CD) and homogeneity degree (HD) of the mix before sintering process. Both parameters are calculated by means of weight measurement in the mixing step. Different quantities of humectant and different mixing times were taken into account. A higher quantity of humectant implies a higher covering degree, leading to more homogeneous honing stones. For this reason, highest quantity of humectant is recommended within the range studied. However, a certain mixing time is required to assure homogeneity of the mix prior to sintering.