Material removal mechanism of X65 steel by electroplated diamond beads in the low-temperature environment

Diamond wire saws are the preferred underwater cutting tools for the disintegration of X-series steel structures. This paper first analyzes the material removal behavior of abrasive grains during the grinding of X65 steel. Based on contact mechanics theory, a mechanical model is established for the diamond abrasive grain's griding process, encompassing the phases of rubbing, plowing, and cutting to elucidate their interactions. In accordance with the four typical postures of hexoctahedral abrasive grains, a theoretical model for the material removal rate (MRR) of the electroplated diamond bead is proposed, based on the shoelace theorem and the trajectory of the abrasive grains. Finally, low-temperature grinding experiments were conducted to reveal the chip formation mechanism of X65 steel under different cutting parameters and verify the MRR model. Observations under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the griding chips changed from the flowing chip to the knife chip as the feed speed increased. With an increase in cutting speed, the proportion of lump debris also increased. The error rate between the theoretical model of MRR and the experimental data is within 10 %, indicating the model's capability to predict the removal rate of the beads and wire saw.