Vitreous bond abrasive articles and methods of making the same

Abstract

Methods of making vitreous bond abrasive articles and their precursors using powder bed jetting are disclosed. Vitreous bond abrasive articles prepared by the method include abrasive articles having arcuate or tortuous cooling channels, unitary structured abrasive discs, abrasive segments, shaped abrasive particles, and abrasive wheels.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method of making a vitreous bond abrasive article, the method comprising sequential steps:
 a) a subprocess comprising sequentially:
 i) depositing a layer of loose powder particles in a confined region, wherein the loose powder particles comprise vitreous bond precursor particles and abrasive particles, and wherein the layer of loose powder particles has substantially uniform thickness; 
 ii) jetting a liquid binder precursor material in predetermined regions of the layer of loose powder particles; 
 iii) converting the liquid binder precursor material into a temporary binder material that bonds together particles of the loose powder particles in the predetermined regions to form a layer of bonded powder particles; 
   b) independently carrying out step a) a plurality of times to generate an abrasive article preform comprising the bonded powder particles and remaining loose powder particles, wherein in each step a), the loose powder particles are independently selected and the liquid binder precursor material is independently selected;   c) separating substantially all of the remaining loose powder particles from the abrasive article preform;   d) heating the abrasive article preform to provide the vitreous bond abrasive article comprising the abrasive particles retained in a vitreous bond material.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the abrasive particles comprise at least one of diamond particles or cubic boron nitride particles. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the abrasive particles comprise metal oxide ceramic particles. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the abrasive particles and the vitreous bond material have the same chemical composition. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the vitreous bond abrasive article includes at least one cooling channel. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the vitreous bond abrasive article is selected from the group consisting of a unitary structured abrasive disc, an abrasive grinding bit, abrasive segments, and an abrasive wheel. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the liquid binder precursor material comprises a liquid vehicle having a polymer dissolved or dispersed therein. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the liquid binder precursor material comprises a liquid vehicle having an inorganic vitreous bond precursor dissolved or dispersed therein. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the inorganic vitreous bond precursor comprises a precursor of alpha alumina. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the loose powder particles comprise submicron ceramic particles. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the loose powder particles further comprise flow agent particles. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein step d) further comprises burning out the temporary binder material. 
     
     
         37 . A vitreous bond abrasive article comprising a vitreous bond material having abrasive particles retained therein, wherein the vitreous bond abrasive article has at least one tortuous cooling channel extending at least partially therethrough. 
     
     
         38 . A vitreous bond abrasive article comprising a vitreous bond material having abrasive particles retained therein, wherein the vitreous bond abrasive article has at least one arcuate cooling channel extending at least partially therethrough. 
     
     
         39 . The vitreous bond abrasive article of  claim 38 , wherein the abrasive particles comprise first abrasive particles and second abrasive particles, wherein the first abrasive particles and second abrasive particles are disposed in predetermined different regions within the vitreous bond abrasive article. 
     
     
         40 . The vitreous bond abrasive article of  claim 38 , wherein the different regions are layers. 
     
     
         41 . The vitreous bond abrasive article of  claim 38 , wherein the abrasive particles comprise at least one of diamond particles or cubic boron nitride particles. 
     
     
         42 . The vitreous bond abrasive article of  claim 38 , wherein the abrasive particles comprise at least one of silicon carbide, boron carbide, silicon nitride, or metal oxide ceramic particles. 
     
     
         43 . The vitreous bond abrasive article of  claim 38 , wherein the vitreous bond abrasive article is selected from the group consisting of a unitary structured abrasive disc, an abrasive grinding bit, an abrasive segment, and an abrasive wheel. 
     
     
         44 . A vitreous bond abrasive article precursor comprising abrasive particles bonded together by a vitreous bond precursor material, wherein the vitreous bond abrasive article precursor further comprises at least one of:
 at least one tortuous cooling channel extending at least partially through the vitreous bond abrasive article precursor; or   at least one arcuate cooling channel extending at least partially through the vitreous bond abrasive article precursor.   
     
     
         45 . The vitreous bond abrasive precursor of  claim 44 , wherein the abrasive particles comprise at least one of silicon carbide, boron carbide, silicon nitride, or metal oxide ceramic particles. 
     
     
         46 . A unitary structured abrasive disc comprising:
 a planar ceramic base having a working major surface; and   precisely-shaped ceramic abrasive elements extending from the working major surface, wherein the precisely-shaped ceramic abrasive elements and the planar ceramic base form a unitary body.   
     
     
         47 . The unitary structured abrasive disc of  claim 46 , wherein the precisely-shaped abrasive elements are curved around a common rotational axis. 
     
     
         48 . The unitary structured abrasive disc of  claim 47 , wherein the precisely-shaped abrasive elements are curved.