The Comparison of Output Characteristics in Electrical Discharge machining and Aluminum Powder Mixed EDM Processes on Titanium Aluminide Intermetallic Compound

In this study, three series of electrical discharge machining experiments were carried out on γ-TiAl intermetallic. In the first series, by changing pulse current and pulse on time in EDM process and in the second series by changing the size and concentration of aluminum powder particles mixed in dielectric fluid, output characteristics including material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR) and surface roughness (SR) are evaluated. In the third series of machining experiments, after determination of the optimum size and concentration of aluminum particles, current and pulse on time, are changed at levels as exactly the same levels in powder-free tests and MRR is evaluated. Finally, MRR of the EDM and optimum PMEDM processes, are compared. By increasing the aluminum particles concentration, TWR and SR will be decreased to an optimal level and then will be increased. For particle size of 2 μm and 20 μm, by increasing the aluminum powder concentration, MRR increases at first and then decreases, while for particle size of 63μm, by increasing powder concentration, MRR decreases. The minimum and maximum increment of MRR in optimum PMEDM condition compared with EDM mode was 32% and 88%, respectively. With increase of electrical discharge energy, the addition of aluminum powder has less effect on increase of sparking frequency and consequently the MRR