Reaction-bonded silicon carbide (RB-SiC), commonly referred to as SiC particle-reinforced Si matrix composite, is a representative composite ceramic material renowned for its high strength, exceptional hardness, and outstanding wear resistance that have enabled its extensive utilization in critical engineering applications including mechanical seals and lubrication systems. However, the inherent heterogeneity in the distribution of the constituent silicon (Si) and silicon carbide (SiC) phases, coupled with the pronounced divergence in their mechanical properties, renders conventional machining techniques inadequate for achieving a high-quality flat surface. To overcome this limitation, the work aims to introduce an innovative micromachining approach of employing a gas-liquid-solid multiphase jet based on the Venturi principle. A comprehensive numerical analysis of the jet generation system was performed through ANSYS Fluent finite element simulation to elucidate the pressure distribution characteristics of the airflow within the mixing chamber. Through this simulation, the minimum critical nozzle diameter necessary to establish a stable negative pressure regime was identified, thereby confirming the technical feasibility of conducting precision microstructure machining on RB-SiC substrates. To systematically investigate the effects of two key process parameters including erosion angle and abrasive particle size, on the surface characteristics of RB-SiC and to furnish a theoretical foundation for enhancing the machining efficiency of multiphase ceramics, a meticulously designed single-factor experimental study was implemented. This involved employing silicon carbide (SiC) abrasives of distinct particle sizes at varying impingement angles to examine the concomitant evolution of material erosion rate and surface integrity under the specified conditions. The simulation outcomes demonstrated that with a nozzle diameter of 5 mm, the high-velocity airflow traversing the generator established a well-defined negative pressure zone in the mixing chamber, which effectively entrained the abrasive slurry to generate a stable and coherent gas-liquid-solid multiphase jet. Building upon this validated nozzle configuration, a series of controlled single-factor machining experiments were executed. The experimental results indicated that, for a given erosion angle, the material removal rate exhibited a negative correlation with abrasive particle size. In contrast, the surface roughness followed a non-monotonic trend, initially increasing to a maximum before decreasing, with the peak value observed at a mesh size of 1000 mesh. Morphological analysis of the machined surfaces revealed distinct removal mechanisms: when larger abrasives were used, material removal primarily occurred via an "isotropic" brittle fracture mode across the composite. With medium-sized abrasives, whose particle dimensions corresponded closely to the characteristic scale of the two-phase interfaces, a differential erosion mechanism became dominant, selectively eroding the softer Si matrix and promoting the subsequent dislodgement of the harder SiC grains. When finer abrasives were employed, the erosion process was governed largely by the brittle-to-ductile transition behavior of the multiphase material. Further investigation into the effect of erosion angle revealed that the synergistic application of medium-sized abrasives at a 75° impingement angle optimized the normal and tangential force components exerted by the abrasive particles. This synergy effectively enhances the erosive removal of the Si phase and facilitates the spalling of SiC grains, successfully reconciling a high material removal rate with the attainment of superior surface flatness. Consequently, the integrated findings from the numerical and experimental studies presented herein offer substantive insights and a reliable reference framework for advancing the precision micromachining of complex, heterogeneous ceramic materials.
Key words
multiphase jet /
RB-SiC /
nozzle diameter /
erosion angle /
abrasive particle size /
material removal behavior /
surface morphology
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Funding
The General Program of Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2024ME225, ZR2023QE035); National Natural Science Foundation of China (52605719, 52575506); College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program (202510433004); Key R&D Program (Innovation Capability Enhancement Project for Science and Technology-based Small and Medium Enterprises) of Shandong Province (2025TSGCCZZB0360)
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