Discrete element method (DEM) modeling of fracture and damage in the machining process of polycrystalline SiC

Discrete element method (DEM) was employed in the research works presented in this paper to simulate the microscopic machining process of ceramics. A densely packed particle assembly system of the polycrystalline SiC has been generated in DEM software package PFC2D using bonded-particle model (BPM) in order to represent for the ceramic part numerically. Microscopic mechanical properties of SiC were calibrated by comparing the numerical tests in PFC2D with the equivalent experimental results, and introduced into the subsequent modeling of the ceramic machining process. The dynamic process of initiation and propagation of the micro-cracks under various machining conditions has been explicitly modeled in the DEM simulations. The numerical results from DEM modeling agreed well with the experimental observations and theoretical predictions. Rational relations between cracking damage of ceramics and cutting conditions have been established based on the analysis of simulation results. A generalized model of defining the range of inelastic zone has also been developed based on the numerical results. Moreover, this study has demonstrated the advantage of DEM model in its capability of revealing the mechanical details of machining process at micro-scale.