Machinability of High Temperature Composites by Abrasive Waterjet

An experimental investigation was conducted on the machinability of particulate reinforced ceramic TiB₂/SiC and metal SiC/Al matrix composites by an abrasive water jet. Both piercing and slot cutting experiments were conducted to determine the influence abrasive waterjet machining has on the material. Machining performance was reported by both cut quality as measured by taper and machined surface characteristics. Based on these preliminary experiments, abrasive waterjet machining seems to be a satisfactory machining method for both metal and ceramic matrix composites.