Effects of fiber orientations on removal behaviors in ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding continuous fiber reinforced Ti matrix composite

Continuous fiber reinforced Ti matrix composites (CFTiMCs) exhibit excellent properties such as high specific strength and structural stability. The continuous SiC fibers contribute to the unique unidirectional performance of CFTiMCs. Additionally, the unique combination of brittleness and ductility in CFTiMCs, along with their anisotropy, sets them apart from ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) and particle-reinforced Ti matrix composites (PTMCs). The high volume fraction of the reinforcing phase significantly increases the difficulty of processing. Ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG) combines ultrasonic vibration with conventional grinding (CG), reducing grinding forces and minimizing processing damage. Therefore, this study conducts UVAG experiments on CFTiMCs (SiC_f/TC17) under different fiber orientations, analyzing grinding forces and surface morphology. The results show that, compared to CG, grinding forces under UVAG are reduced by 18.6%. The highest grinding force is observed when grinding along the perpendicular fiber, and the lowest is along the longitudinal fiber. Surface damage is most severe when grinding along the longitudinal fiber direction, with extensive fiber pull-out from the matrix. UVAG reduces surface roughness by 19.1% compared to CG. This work guides material removal mechanisms and damage suppression in the low-damage processing of CFTiMCs.