Effect of abrasive size and shape on surface microstructure of titanium alloy cut by abrasive water jet

Abrasive grains, with different sizes and shapes, were used to cut titanium alloy on a cutting platform to study the effect of impingement jet on the micro-morphologies of alloy surface. The surface quality of the alloy was characterized by using an ultra-depth-of-field microscope. The results show that the larger the abrasive particle size, the longer the scratches formed, which is that the micro-scratch length caused by 80-mesh abrasive particles is about 5 times longer than that of 160-mesh abrasive particles. It is also found that the scratches formed by spherical abrasive particles have less accumulation, whose surface linear roughness is less than 9.5 μm, and that the linearity roughness of the surface scratched by edged grains is between 9.5 μm and 13.0 μm, with lip-like or scaly metal accumulations. Scratches formed by impact of cylindrical abrasive particles have sharp edges and corners with surface roughness more than 13.0 μm.