The wear behavior and lapping performance of fixed abrasive pad for acidity and alkalinity of lapping fluid in lapping quartz glass

The chemical actions of the lapping fluid have been proven to enhance the machinability of fixed abrasive pad (FAP). However, the wear mechanisms and removal mechanisms of FAP under different pH conditions remain unclear. Therefore, the influences of the pH of the lapping fluid on the processing characteristics (hardness, micro-cutting performance, surface morphology) of FAP and the material properties (hardness, depths of critical brittle-plastic transition) of the workpieces were explored in the study. The wear mechanisms and removal mechanisms of FAP under different pH conditions were systematically studied from three aspects: the chemical actions of the lapping fluid, the mechanical actions of FAP, and the vortex actions of chips. The results showed that the wear mechanism of FAP was mainly influenced by the chemical actions of lapping fluid and vortex actions of chips. Compared to neutral conditions, alkaline conditions to improved the glazing and self-trimming of FAP, with an increased in proportion of plastic removal of FAP, a 47.02% increase in material removal rate (MRR), and a 38.7% decrease in Sa. Conversely, acidic conditions accelerated the wear of FAP, brittle removal was the main processing method, which result in a 58.42% decrease in MRR, and a 20.42% increase in Sa. This study provides important guideline for enhancing the lapping efficiency of FAP in hard and brittle materials.