Experimental investigations on chemical-assisted magnetorheological shear thickening polishing for zirconia ceramics tubes

Abstract

Zirconia ceramics tubes are widely employed in the fields of medical, aerospace, and energy due to high hardness and strength. A novel chemical-assisted magnetorheological shear thickening polishing (CMSTP) method is proposed in this study, achieving the objectives of improving the inner surface quality of zirconia ceramics tubes and enhancing polishing efficiency. The magnetic field generator was established by using four cylindrical N54 NdFeB radial magnetic poles. The magnetic flux density distribution within the polishing region was investigated by applying the magnetic field simulation analysis. The chemical-assisted magnetorheological shear thickening polishing slurry (CMSTPs) was developed for polishing experiments. Comparative experiments were conducted to assess the effectiveness of CMSTPs in polishing the inner surface of the zirconia ceramics tube. Compared to the magnetorheological shear thickening polishing slurry (MRSTPs), the polishing efficiency of the developed CMSTP method was increased by 24 %. The role of three critical processing parameters including carbonyl iron particles (CIPs) abrasive particle sizes, working gap, and workpiece rotational speed in determining surface morphology variations was rigorously examined through experimental characterization. Employing the CMSTP process under the processing parameters of a working gap of 0.5 mm, the workpiece rotational speed of 700 r/min, and the CIPs particle size of 100 μm, the surface after polishing exhibited a remarkable improvement from 1.209 μm to 102 nm. A smooth inner surface of the zirconia ceramics tube without convex peaks and deep scratches was observed by ultra-deep field microscopy, an optical profilometer, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).