Ductile mode electrochemical oxidation assisted micromachining for glassy carbon

Recently, a new mechanical machining process using electrochemical oxidation was reported. Electrochemical oxidation assisted micromachining was applied to the machining of glassy carbon. The material removal process of the electrochemical oxidation assisted micromachining consists of repeated cycles of oxidation followed by removal of the oxide layer. In this paper, we experimentally investigate and compare the critical chip thickness for ductile mode cutting in mechanical machining and electrochemical oxidation assisted micromachining of glassy carbon. The theoretical critical chip thickness is calculated for mechanical machining of glassy carbon and experimentally verified. The effect of electrochemical oxidation on the critical chip thickness for ductile mode micromachining is also studied for glassy carbon. It is found that the critical chip thickness is increased for the electrochemical oxidation assisted micromachining.