The application of chemical additives, known as grinding aids (GA), dates back to 1930 in the cement industry. As opposed to the cement industry, where the use of GAs is on the final processing step, it could be one of the first process steps in ore beneficiation. A few investigations addressed the GA applications in ore dressing; therefore, further studies are required to better understand the GA effects on the product properties and downstream separation processes. This thesis undertakes a comparative study on the dry grinding of magnetite and the resulting product characteristics with and without GAs. The main aim is to reduce energy consumption and to address some of the challenges associated with dry processing.  The effects of GAs on the dry batch ball milling of magnetite were examined to analyze the energy consumption (Ec), particle size distribution, flow properties, bulk properties, surface morphology, particle fineness, and surface chemistry of products. Their effects on the ground product were systematically explored by sieve analysis, powder rheology, BET surface measurements, optical microscopy analysis, and zeta potential measurements. Compared with the absence of GAs, the dry grinding efficiency of magnetite increased after using GAs; however, an optimal dosage exists based on the GA type. Among GAs which considered in this investigation (Zalta™ GR20-587 (Commercial GA) and Zalta™ VM1122 (Commercial viscosity aid) as well as sodium hydroxide), Zalta™ VM1122, a polysaccharide-based additive, was the most effective GA where by using this GA; the Ec decreased by 31.1% from 18.0 to 12.4 kWh/t. The PSD became narrower and finer (P80 decreasing from 181 to 142 µm), and the proportion of the particles (38–150 µm) increased from 52.5 to 58.3%. In general, the results reveal that at sufficient GA dosages, they reduce the average particle size, increase the specific surface area, and narrow the particle size distribution. However, an excessive amount of GAs could be detrimental to the grinding performance.  Further studies on powder rheology indicated that the used GAs resulted in improved material flowability compared to grinding without additives (in the examined dosage range). The rheology measurements by the FT4 Powder Rheometer showed strong linear correlations between basic flow energy, specific energy, and the resulting work index when GAs was considered for grinding. There was a strong correlation between the grinding parameters and flow parameters (r > 0.93). These results confirmed the effect of GA on ground particles' flowability. Zalta™ VM1122 showed the best performance with 38.8% reduction of basic flow energy, 20.4 % reduction of specific energy, 24.6% reduction of aerated basic flow energy, and 38.3% reduction of aerated energy. The present investigation showed that the predominant mechanism of GAs is based on the alteration of rheological properties. Further investigation on the surface properties showed that using GAs could increase the surface roughness, which is beneficial for downstream processes such as froth flotation. Zalta™ VM1122 resulted in increased surface roughness and minimum microstructural defects from the optical microscope images. Furthermore, Zalta™ VM1122 (non-ionic) resulted in similar zeta potentials and pH values for the product compared to experiments without GA. These comparable product properties are advantageous as they minimize any potential negative effects on all possible downstream processes. / Kolarctic CBC (KO1030 SEESIMA)

No description available.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Zhijian Pei / Poor machinability of hard-to-machine materials (such as advanced ceramics and titanium) limits their applications in industries. Ultrasonic-vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG), a hybrid machining process combining material-removal mechanisms of diamond grinding and ultrasonic machining, is one cost-effective machining method for these materials. Compared to ultrasonic machining, UVAG has much higher material removal rate while maintaining lower cutting pressure and torque, reduced edge chipping and surface damage, improved accuracy, and lower tool wear rate. However, physics-based models to predict cutting force in UVAG have not been reported to date. Furthermore, edge chipping is one of the technical challenges in UVAG of brittle materials. There is no report related to effects of cutting tool design on edge chipping in UVAG of brittle materials. The goal of this research is to provide new knowledge of machining these hard-to-machine materials with UVAG for further improvements in machining cost and surface quality. First, a thorough literature review is given to show what has been done in this field. Then, a physics-based predictive cutting force model and a mechanistic cutting force model are developed for UVAG of ductile and brittle materials, respectively. Effects of input variables (diamond grain number, diamond grain diameter, vibration amplitude, vibration frequency, spindle speed, and federate) on cutting force are studied based on the developed models. Interaction effects of input variables on cutting force are also studied. In addition, an FEA model is developed to study effects of cutting tool design and input variables on edge chipping. Furthermore, some trends predicted from the developed models are verified through experiments. The results in this dissertation could provide guidance for choosing reasonable process variables and designing diamond tools for UVAG.

Grinding is a critical manufacturing process and is often the only alternative when producing precision components or when machining brittle materials such as ceramics. Characterizing and modeling the surface finish in the grinding process is a difficult task due to the stochastic nature of the size, shape and spatial distribution of abrasive grains that make up the surface of grinding wheels. Since the surface finish obtained in grinding is a direct function of the wheel surface topography, which is conditioned by a single point dressing process, understanding the effects of dressing parameters on the wheel topography is essential. Therefore, the main objectives of this thesis are: 1) to experimentally characterize the three-dimensional surface topography of a conventional grinding wheel including attributes such as the abrasive grain height distribution, grain geometry and spacing parameters and their respective statistical distributions, 2) to determine the effects of single point dressing conditions on the three-dimensional wheel surface topography parameters and their distributions, 3) to model and simulate the three-dimensional wheel surface topography, and 4) to experimentally validate the wheel topography model. In this research, new and existing characterization methods are used to characterize the wheel surface and the individual abrasive grains. The new techniques include the use of X-ray micro-tomography (μCT) to obtain a better understanding of the grinding wheel's internal micro-structure, and a focus variation based optical measurement method and scanning electron microscopy to characterize previously ignored attributes such as the number of sides and aspect ratio of individual grains. A seeded gel (SG) vitrified bond conventional grinding wheel is used in the study. A full factorial design of single point wheel dressing experiments is performed to investigate the effects infeed and lead dressing parameters on the grinding wheel surface topography. A custom wheel indexing apparatus is built to facilitate precision relocation of the grinding wheel surface to enable optical comparison of the pre- and post-dressing wheel surface topography to observe wheel surface generation mechanisms such as macro-fracture and grain dislodgement. Quantitative descriptions of how each dressing parameter affects the wheel surface characteristics are given in terms of the wheel surface roughness amplitude parameters (Sp, Ssk, Sku) and areal and volume parameters (Spk, Sk, Vmp, Vmp, Vvc, Smr1) derived from the bearing area curve. A three-dimensional wheel topography simulation model that takes as input the abrasive grain height distribution and the statistical distributions for the various abrasive grain geometry parameters is developed and experimentally validated. The results of wheel characterization studies show that the actual abrasive grain height distribution in the SG wheel follows a beta distribution. The μCT work shows that the abrasives are polyhedral in shape, as opposed to the spherical or conical shapes commonly assumed in grinding literature. Grain spacing is found to follow a beta distribution while the number of sides of the grain and the grain aspect ratio are found to follow the gamma and the Weibull distribution, respectively. The results of the dressing study show that the lead dressing parameter has the strongest effect on wheel topography. Using statistical distributions for the key parameters (e.g. grain height, number of sides, grain spacing), a stochastic three-dimensional model is developed to simulate the wheel surface topography under different dressing conditions. The resulting model is shown to yield realistic results compared to existing models mainly due the fact that additional abrasive grain geometry parameters and more realistic assumptions of the different grain attributes are used in the model. It is shown that the model follows the overall wheel surface topography trends during dressing but has difficulty in accurately simulating some of the wheel characteristics under specific dressing conditions. The thesis then concludes with a summary of the main findings and possible future research avenues including extending the model to rotary dressing and simulation of wheel-workpiece interaction.

Submitted in fulfillment of requirements of the degree of Master in Health Sciences: Dental Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Pumice is used in the polishing of dental appliances to remove surface irregularities. It is usually used in a slurry form that is pumice powder mixed with water. In Nigeria, the increased cost of pumice as a result of its limited supply into the country has encouraged dental technicians to re-use pumice slurry for longer periods than advocated when polishing acrylic dentures, whether new or old dentures which have been worn in the mouth. Consequently, this is likely to increase cross-infection of communicable diseases in the dental technology laboratory. Although materials such as white sand, black sand and porcelnite can be used, literature documents that these materials are less effective in the polishing of acrylic dentures (Areeg 2011). The focus of this study was to use eggshells, a natural waste product, to develop and test the quality of an alternative material to reduce the surface roughness of heat-cured acrylic resins. A quantitative research paradigm and an experimental research strategy were adopted. The research design included two phases. In phase one of this study, different characterisation techniques such as Brunnae-Emmer Teller (BET); Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR); X-ray Diffraction (XRD); Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM); Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM); Laser Scattering Particle Size Distribution Analyser (PSA); Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA); and Induction-Coupling-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) were used to assess the suitability of the new abrasive material (NAM). In addition, the level of microbial contamination of the NAM was assessed in line with the specified microbial limits for cosmetic products. In contrast, phase two investigated the product-based quality of the NAM as an abrasive material for removable dental appliances. There were two sample groups, that is, the NAM (test group) and Pumice (control), and each sample group had 50 PMMA acrylic specimens. The surface roughness (Ra) was measured using a Talysurf profilometer. An Independent Tukey test was used to analyse the Ra values (p=0.05). A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Optical Microscope (OEM) were further used to support the results of the profilometer in terms of the quality of surface finish and polish. Validity of the study was achieved following the ISO 20795-1 (2013) methods of preparation and fabrication of the acrylic specimens. The reliability was determined via reproducibility and repeatability of tests. The BET analysis showed that the NAM is predominantly a mesoporous powder. The FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed that the NAM is pure calcite with unique water absorbing characteristics, and is free of bacteria. The EDX and ICP-OES analyses revealed calcium, oxygen and carbon as the major elemental composition of the NAM. The SEM and TEM images revealed irregular shaped particles in the NAM. The PSA analysis of the particle distribution showed the NAM to be superfine (50nm to 0.3µm) and medium (44µm powder), respectively. The TGA analysis revealed a high-grade carbonate product in the NAM (>66.0 mass% of calcium carbonates). In addition, and in terms of in the qualities of the NAM in reducing the surface roughness of PMMA resins, the test group and the control group produced Ra values that were significant different (p<0.0001). The SEM and OEM analyses further confirmed the differences in the surfaces between the polished sample groups at different magnifications. Overall, the control showed the highest mean average (0.1056±0.03688µm), whereas the test group had the lowest Ra values (0.0476±0.01379). The lowest Ra values measured with the test group indicated that the NAM improves the surface smoothness of PMMA acrylic specimens. Notably, this study conclusively showed that the NAM effectively reduces the surface roughness to below the threshold limit value of 0.2µm. Significantly, and in associating the Ra values to the threshold limit value of 0.2µm, the NAM produced better results than pumice. Hence the use of the NAM as a polishing material for acrylic dentures is highly recommended. Finally and in line the NAM being a suitable alternative to pumice as it effectively reduces the surface roughness of PMMA specimens, future investigation into the use of eggshell nanoparticles to develop dental prophylaxes will be encouraged. / M

No description available.

Objective: The goal of the present study was to investigate the effect of chairside surface treatments on biaxial flexural strength and subsurface damage of monolithic zirconia ceramics. Methods: Specimens (15x15x1.2 mm3) were prepared by sectioning from commercially available zirconia blanks (BruxZirTM) and sintering according to manufacturer's recommendations. Fully dense specimens were randomly divided into five groups (n=30) and treated as follows; 1) as-sintered (AS) 2) air abraded with 50 μm alumina fine particles (AAF), 3) air abraded with 250 μm coarse alumina particles (AAC), 4) ground (G), and 5) ground and polished (GP) to mimic chairside and dental laboratory treatments. Microstructural changes were thoroughly characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy, surface profilometry and atomic force microscopy. Crystalline phases and their depth profile were investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD). Results were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test and Tukey's adjustment for multiple comparisons. A 0.05 level of significance was used. Reliability was evaluated by Weibull analysis. Results: All treatment groups exhibited a significant difference in mean surface roughness (Rq) compared to the as-sintered group (p<0.05). The AAC group showed the highest surface roughness at 1.08 ± 0.17 μm, followed by the G, AAF and AS groups. The GP group exhibited the lowest surface roughness. The group air abraded with fine particles showed the highest mean biaxial flexural strength (1662.62 ± 202.58 MPa), but was not different from the ground and polished group (1567.19 ± 209.76 MPa). The groups air abraded with coarse particles or ground with diamond bur exhibited comparable mean biaxial flexural strength at 1371.37 ±147.62 MPa and 1356.98 ±196.77 MPa, respectively. The as-sintered group had the lowest mean biaxial flexural strength at 1202.29 ±141.92 MPa. The depth of compressive stress layer, measured by GIXRD was approximately 50 μm in the AAF group, followed by the AAC group with ~35 μm, ~10 μm for the ground group and ~5 μm for the ground and polished group. Deep subsurface cracks were observed in the AAC group (~80 μm in depth) and G group (~25 μm in depth), whereas shallower flaws were present in the AAF and GP groups at 10 and 3 μm, respectively. Weibull analysis represented a greater reliability in zirconia specimens treated with air abrasion groups. Conclusions: Surface treatments induced the t-m transformation in 3Y-TZP and associated development of compressive stresses to a depth that varied with the severity of the treatment performed. GIXRD revealed that AAF led to the thickest compressive stress layer, followed by AAC, G and GP. SEM revealed that subsurface damage was most severe with AAC, followed by G, AAF and GP. We propose that the flexural strength results can be explained by the difference between the depth of the compressive stress layer induced by the transformation and the depth of the subsurface flaws.

On appelle clinker le matériau obtenu par cuisson de calcaire et d'argile et qui constitue le principal ingrédient du ciment Portland, composant essentiel de la majorité des bétons produits dans le monde. Ce clinker doit être finement broyé avant de pouvoir présenter une réactivité suffisante. La maîtrise des procédés de broyage représente un enjeu considérable pour l'industrie cimentière : il s'agit du premier poste en termes de consommation électrique d'une usine, en partie du fait de l'inefficacité des procédés employés. Les techniques de broyage par compression, apparues au cours des années 80, ont constitué un progrès majeur du point de vue de l'efficacité énergétique, mais la généralisation de leur utilisation a été freinée par des problèmes de maîtrise du procédé, en particulier pour des finesses importantes. L'enjeu de cette thèse est une meilleure compréhension des phénomènes en jeu lors du broyage par compression du clinker, en vue d'un meilleur contrôle des installations industrielles lors de la fabrication de produits fins. Nous nous sommes intéressés en particulier au comportement, du point de vue fondamental, d'un matériau granulaire subissant une fragmentation de ses grains, en nous appuyant sur la simulation numérique d'un Volume Elémentaire Représentatif de matière par les éléments discrets (DEM). Nous avons aussi recherché une loi de comportement permettant de relier contraintes, déformation, et évolution de la taille des particules pour le matériau broyé, en nous appuyant à la fois sur la micromécanique et les techniques d'homogénéisation, et un modèle semi-empirique de bilans de masses. Enfin, un premier pas vers la modélisation du procédé industriel et notamment sa simulation par éléments finis a été esquissé, afin de résorber les difficultés rencontrées en pratique par les industriels / Noindent Clinker is the material obtained by calcination of a mix of clay and limestone, and it is the main component of Portland cement, a crucial ingredient for the majority of concrete used around the world. This clinker must be finely ground to have a sufficient reactivity. Mastering the grinding process is a key issue in the cement industry: it is the first source of expense in terms of electric consumption in a factory, partially because of the overall inefficiency of the process. Compressive grinding techniques, first appeared during the 80's, allow major improvements in terms of energy efficiency, but the general implementation is yet to come, hindered by process control issues, especially for high fineness. The goal of this study is a better understanding of phenomenons occurring during compressive grinding of clinker, in order to provide better process control for industrial installations when dealing with fine products. We particularly choose to study the behaviour, on a fundamental point of view, of a granular material subjected to grain fragmentation, using the numerical simulation of an Elementary Representative Volume of material through Discrete Element Method (DEM). We also looked for a behaviour law able to provide a link between stress, strain, and grain size evolution for the ground material, using at the same time micromechanics and homogenization technique, and a semi-empirical mass balance model. Finally, we made first efforts in the direction of modelling the whole process through numerical simulation by Finite Element Method (FEM), in order to tackle the issue met by the industrials in operations

Les récentes séverisations des normes d’émission a indirectement conduit le groupe RENAULT à durcir et optimiser les spécifications appliquées aux surfaces en contact. Les portées de vilebrequins sont particulièrement concernées. A l’instar des développements produit/process liés au rodage des fûts de cylindre, il est envisagé depuis peu d’appliquer une texturation antifriction sur les tourillons et manetons. Ces portées de paliers sont actuellement superfinies par toilage, un procédé d’abrasion à la fois robuste et économique. Malheureusement, le toilage produit, en usine du moins, une unique morphologie de surface, à savoir, une striation circonférentielle intégrale. Il apparaît, en ce sens, très limité. La présente étude a pour objectif d’investiguer plus finement les capacités de texturation du toilage. Elle propose un ensemble d’analyses expérimentales visant à comprendre les limites texturales observées en production série et offre des solutions innovantes afin d’accroître très sensiblement le potentiel texturant du procédé. S’articulant autour du triptyque Procédé/Texture/Fonctionnalité, ce travail se positionne également dans une démarche globale en s’intéressant à la fois à la texturation laser, la caractérisation des surfaces texturées et à l’influence des textures sur la fonctionnalité statique et dynamique des paliers. Les résultats montrent en particulier que le procédé de toilage est capable de produire, de manière robuste, une véritable diversité de textures. Ils montrent également que la recherche de « poli miroir » pourraient être à prioriser sur les portées de vilebrequins. / The recent introduction of tougher emissions standards has indirectly led the RENAULT group to tighten up and optimize specifications applied to surfaces in contact. Crankshafts journals are particularly concerned. Like product/process developments linked to the honing of cylinder liners, there have been recent plans to apply anti-friction texturing to crankshaft journals and crank pins. These bearing surfaces are currently super-finished by belt-grinding, an abrasion procedure that is both robust and economical. Unfortunately, belt-grinding produces a unique surface morphology, in the factory at least, i.e. integral circumferential striation. In this sense it appears very limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate in more detail the texturing capacities of belt-grinding. It provides a set of experimental analyses aiming to understand the textural limits observed in the factory and offer innovative solutions to significantly improve the texturing potential of the procedure. Focusing on the three-pronged Process/Texture/Functionality approach, this work is also part of a global process by looking both at laser texturing, characterization of the textured surfaces and the influence of textures on the static and dynamic function of the bearings. The results show in particular that the belt-grinding procedure is capable of robustly producing a real diversity of textures. They also show that striving to achieve a « mirror-polish » finish may be something to prioritize for crankshafts journals.

Orientador: Paulo Roberto de Aguiar / Banca: André Nunes de Souza / Banca: Milton Vieira Júnior / Resumo: Os processos de usinagem são de extrema importância no ramo de indústria metalúrgica, uma vez que quase todas as peças de metais em que se exige uma alta precisão e qualidade de acabamento são produzidas por meio destes processos. Dentre os processos de usinagem destaca-se o processo de retificação, por sua precisão e bom acabamento. É essencial que se conheça bem este processo, já que por ser a última etapa da manufatura, qualquer problema compromente a peça e perde-se o trabalho realizado em todas as etapas anteriores. O presente trabalho visa um estudo comparativo entre a força de corte na retificação medida com um dinamômetro piezelétrico e a potência elétrica do motor que aciona o rebolo. A força de corte é reconhecida como sendo a principal variável de estudos dos processos de usinagem. Tradicionalmente a força de corte é tomada por meio de um dinamômetro, porém este é um dispositivo relativamente caro e de difícil montagem. Usualmente, a força no processo de retificação é tomada por meio de um sensor de corrente, obtendo-se um sinal analógico proporcional à potência consumida pelo motor. Entretanto, esta potência não corresponde à potência mecânica utilizada no corte, e, portanto, imprecisões ocorrem. Neste trabalho, os sinais de potências elétricas e força de corte foram coletados com alta taxa de aquisição, com variações de profundidade de corte e da frequência do motor que aciona o rebolo. Os resultados obtidos mostram que os sinais de potência elétrica do motor que aciona o rebolo sempre foram proporcionais aos sinais de força de corte. Desta forma, é possível o dinamômetro na retificação por sensores de corrente e tensão, com resultados confiáveis. / Abstract: The machining processes are of great importance in the metallurgical industry, since all the metal workpieces demanding high precision and finishing quality are produced through these processes. Among the machining processes the grinding process can be highlighted by its precision and superior finishing. As being the last manufacturing stage, it is very important to have sound knowledge of the grinding process because minor problems can jeopardize the ground part, and then all the previous manufacturing operations will also be lost. This work aims at comparing the cutting force between the one measured through a piezoelectric dynamometer and that one measured by electrical power of the induction motor that drives the grinding wheel. The cutting force is acknowledged as being the most important variable for studying the machining processes. Traditionally, the cutting force is taken by a piezoelectric dynamometer, which is relatively expensive equipment besides requiring a nontrivial setup. Generally, the cutting force in the grinding process is taken by a Hall Effect current sensor to produce an analog signal proportional to the power consumed by the electric motor. However, that power does not correspond to the mechanical power used to grind, and thus imprecision takes place. In this work, the electric power and cutting force were collected by using a high samplinf the rate acquisition for several cutting depths and two electrical frequencies to drives the induction motor. The results showed the electric power signals behaved, in general, proportional to the cutting force measured by the dynamometer. Thus, the Hall Effect curret and voltage sensors can be replaced by dynamometer in the grinding process with reliable results. / Mestre