Process Model for the Abrasion Mechanism during Micro Abrasive Blasting (MAB) of Brittle Materials

In micro abrasive blasting (MAB), a fine abrasive powder is accelerated in an air stream. When the powder hits the target with a velocity near the velocity of sound, material is abraded from the target surface. In this paper it is shown for the first time that, by comparing experiment and theory, the abrasion mechanism during micro abrasive blasting can be described mathematically. By investigating the effective mechanism for blasting of brittle materials and the concentration distribution of the blast medium in the jet of compressed air a process model for micro abrasive blasting can be established. With only few experimentally measured values it is possible to apply the procedure for computer simulation of profile forming structuring techniques.