Effect of Addition Ag and Cu Nanoparticles on Electrochemical Discharge Machining of NiTi Shape Memory Alloys

Nitinol as a shape memory alloy is widely used in engineering applications. Most of such applications required machining processes, which may particularly influence the product as a specified functional material. In this experimental study, holes of 1 mm diameter were drilled to the nitinol alloy and nitinol with addition of 0.5wt% nanoparticles of each copper and silver. Electrochemical discharge machining was used where surface characteristics of the machined alloys, metal removal rate, and tool wear rate were investigated. The experimental results indicate that the alloy with silver and copper has a better metal removal rate (0.0885 mg/sec) at voltage 80V and solution concentration 40%, lower surface roughness (0.00996 µm) at voltage 50V and solution concentration 30%, lower white layer thickness (2.5167 µm) at voltage 50V and solution concentration 40%, and lower surface crack density (0.0047 µm/µm2) at voltage 50V and solution concentration 40%, but a higher tool wear rate than the base alloy.