Tech Talk
What have copper and nickel done for diamond wheel development in carbide grinding?
The metallic coating of the diamond with nickel, and/or copper provides better mechanical bonding in a variety of bond systems as well as providing a path for the heat of the process to be conducted away from the diamonds in a dry grinding situation. Diamond is suited to grinding tungsten carbide, and natural stones, granite and concrete as well as more sophisticated ceramics and cermets. Diamond however is most unsuitable for the grinding of steels due to the high carbon content. Diamond being a carbon base material has an affinity for the carbon in the steel and produces most unsatisfactory results. This is one of the prime reasons for the introduction of CBN (carbon boron nitride) which is less reactive with the steel families and has better mechanical bonding properties to aid wheel manufacture.
