Microstructural Evaluation of Tungsten Carbide GT30 Machined by Abrasive Jet Machining

Machining of small holes on tungsten carbide using the conventional machining processes is a difficult task due to its high hardness. This difficulty can be overcome by using an inexpensive unconventional machining process called abrasive jet machining (AJM). In this paper, the machining of tungsten carbide has been carried out using AJM, in which the material removal takes place due to mechanical erosion of the work piece under the action of high-velocity abrasive jet. In this paper, tungsten carbide work piece is used for the experimentation. The experimental investigation is performed by selecting the predefined optimal values for process parameter like pressure, stand-off distance (SOD), and nozzle diameter (ND). The present study focuses on the change in microstructures of WC GT30 before and after machining by SEM micrographs which can provide an understanding about the change in properties of hard metals during the abrasive jet machining process.