8. A Study on the Effect of Oxalic Acid Electrolyte on Stainless Steel (316L) Through Electrochemical Micro-machining

Stainless steel 316L (SS 316L) finds numerous applications in various industries, such as pharmaceuticals, marine, architectural, medical implants and fasteners. Owing to its excellent mechanical, physical and chemical properties, stainless steel finds application in manufacture of micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS)-based devices. The machining of SS (316L) through conventional way still remains a problem owing to its poor surface characteristics. In this paper, an attempt is made to machine SS (316L) using electrochemical micro-machining (ECMM) with oxalic acid as an electrolyte. The effect of voltage in machining, duty cycle and concentration of electrolyte on material removal rate (MRR) and overcut is studied. Furthermore, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis technique has been carried out to study the parametric effect on machined surface. The use of oxalic acid as an electrolyte contributes for low MRR and smaller overcut. The use of weak electrolyte protects the machining setup and increases the lifespan of the machine.