MICROSTRUCTURE ANALYSIS AND MATERIAL TRANSFORMATION OF PURE TITANIUM AND TOOL WEAR SURFACE AFTER WIRE ELECTRIC DISCHARGE MACHINING PROCESS.

The wire electric discharge machining process is an alternative for machining of the high strength temperature resistant materials. The present research work is mainly focused on the investigation of integrity of the work surface and wire electrode surface after machining with WEDM. Experimental results showed that pulse-on time, pulse-off time and peak current significantly affected the surface integrity with the formation of deep-wide overlapping craters, pock marks, debris, micro-cracks and recast layer. Both carbides and oxides were formed either in free form and/or in compound form due to decomposition of de-ionized water, machined samples and wire material. The compounds like titanium dioxide (rutile)(TiO2),(TiO0.325),Ti2O3, Ilmenite(Fe2Ti4O), titanium carbides(TiC)and copper titanium dioxide(Cu3TiO4)were formed due to phase transformations that were analyzed through X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray method. The effect of process parameters on the wear of wire surface has also been considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]