Characterization of the cutting power of the abrasive particles during titanium alloys abrasive water jet machining

Abrasive waterjet machining is an unconventional process. It consists of using water under high pressure and abrasive particles to machine all materials. This process significantly limits the cutting forces and heat that can deform the part and degrade its mechanical characteristics. This is particularly true for very thin ones. The abrasive particles used are most often considered as a fixed parameter for this process and it is chosen according to the selected application. It is characterized by a size expressed in mesh and by their material, mainly garnet or alumina. The implicit assumptions are that all the particles have the same size and their composition is constant. In this paper, a characterization of different abrasive garnets is carried out in order to define their suitability for machining Titanium alloys. Machining tests are presented and their results are correlated with their properties.