Micro-EDM milling of zirconium carbide ceramics

Surface characteristics and machining performances of micro-pockets manufactured by μEDM as a function of different process conditions are studied in this paper. The micro-pockets were obtained using different combinations of process parameters on different ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) with the same base matrix (ZrC) and different volume fraction of the second phase (MoSi2). This work presents an analysis of the process performances with different machining approaches, from pre-roughing down to fine-finishing. Microstructure analysis of the as-sintered and machined materials was conducted to identify materials modification due to the electrical discharges. A removing material mechanism during the μEDM process has been hypothesized, correlating the ED-machined surface structure and the main process performances.