Electrochemical Machining of Titanium Alloy Based on NaCl Electrolyte Solution

Abstract

Titanium alloy Ti6Al4V is frequently used in the aerospace and other industries. In order to attain Ti6Al4V with a high surface quality, the present study examined the use of side-flow electrochemical machining, paying particular attention to the relationship between the feed rate and the average processing current, balance gap, and surface roughness. Using electrochemical machining channel design and analysis, the surface topographies of titanium alloys, electrochemically machined with different current densities, were investigated. The results showed that, with increasing feed rate, the average processing current increases linearly, while the surface roughness decreases rapidly. When the feed rate is increased to 1.8 mm/min, the balance gap is very small; thus, there is a risk of short-circuit. Simultaneously, with a rapid rise in the current density, the amount of corrosive pitting increased, with the area covered gradually expanding until the activation sites joined together and overlapped each other. Thus, the surface quality of the titanium alloy improved.