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Performance Evaluation of Abrasive Grinding Wheel Formulated from Locally Sourced Materials
Abstract
This paper presents a study on the formulation and manufacture of abrasive grinding wheel using locally formulated silicon carbide abrasive grains. Six local raw material substitutes were identified through pilot study and with the initial mix of the identified materials, a systematic search for an optimal formulation of silicon carbide, the intermediate product, was conducted using the Taguchi method. The mixture was fired in a furnace to 1800oC for 6 hours forming silicon carbide chunks, which were crushed and sieved into abrasive grains that were used to produce the grinding wheels. These locally manufactured grinding wheels were further subjected to some mechanical tests and the test results show that they conform within the range of values specified in the international standard handbook.