X-ray microtomography for conventional grinding wheel structure analysis

Grinding wheel content characterization is still mainly based on empirical tests, lacking the necessary scientific approach. To further develop the current existing methodology, this study introduces a method to characterize the grinding wheel structure and content, using microscale X-ray tomography allied with image processing techniques. An X-ray tomography characterization was performed on four different conventional grinding wheels, each containing a specific mixture of electro-fused and sol-gel aluminum oxide abrasives as grits. The grinding wheels were evaluated in terms of volumetric phase fraction, representative elementary volume, phase, and pore size distribution. The results showcased that even though the grinding wheels presented the same manufacturing label (in terms of mechanical properties), the volumetric phase fraction between the grinding wheels was significantly different. This study aggregates the empirical knowledge used to characterize grinding wheels, opening possibilities for academic and industrial research.