Title: On material removal capability of abrasive particle in polishing process

Authors: Y.-T. Su, T.-C. Hung, C.-M. Tsai

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chinese Military Academy, Kaohsiung 830, Taiwan. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan

Abstract: The material removal capability of an abrasive particle, with a dimension of tens of nanometre, in a polishing process was examined in this study. It was aimed to characterise the material removal capability of the particle when it moved in a certain speed relative to work or tool. A model was first proposed to describe the necessary condition that material removal could occur at the particle-work or particle-tool interfaces. Then, a set of equations was derived, according to the law of force equilibrium and the principle of minimum potential energy, to model the steady-state motion of particle. The simulations indicated that the particle speed relative to work or tool should exceed a certain value to cause a successful removal action. In addition to the surface energy of work or tool, this value depended on the adhesive works of particle at its interfaces. The study also revealed that the trend of material removal rate at work vs. tool speed or normal load was not linear. To apply the Preston equation, one should be more cautious. Finally, the trend of material removal rate at work was found complex and was inconsistent with that of wear rate at tool, under different adhesion conditions at the interface of particle. For instance, the material removal rate always increases as the normal load increases. However, the wear rate at tool may not be always proportional to the normal load.

Keywords: energy of adhesion; material removal rate; polishing process; tool wear; wear model.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.2003.002501

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, 2003 Vol.18 No.4/5/6, pp.431-456

Published online: 19 Jul 2003 *

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