Theories on Rock Cutting, Grinding and Polishing Mechanisms

Abstract

Tribological research studies including cutting, abrading and polishing mechanisms have firstly started with metals, metal cutting theories and formulas have been developed and then applications on rock material have started. In this part of the book, natural stone cutting, abrasion and polishing mechanisms are compiled and presented as a summary. Processes of cutting, grinding and polishing natural stones are made as a result of grinding- abrading mechanism developed on the use of different abrasive grains (mostly diamond and SiC). Wear intensity is named as cutting, abrading or polishing according to the speed, chip size and situation of obtained surfaces. No matter which cutting machine is used, generally cutting process of natural stones are done with the use of segments that are obtained through sintering of diamond grains and metal powders. Industrial diamond grains in these segments rubbed against the material to be cut with a certain force and material is removed, and as a result, the material is cut along this surface as the material is removed as much as segment width. In the stage of abrading and polishing of natural stones, products called grinding stone containing SiC grains are generally used. Intenseness of material removal from natural stone surfaces can be arranged by changing grain size of this abrasive and magnitude of pressure intensity. When relatively coarser grains and higher pressures are chosen, coarse abrading process is obtained while slight abrading and polishing is obtained when slighter grains and lower pressures are chosen. 2.