ULTRA THIN CARBON FIBER SAW

THE PROPOSED ULTRA THIN CARBON FIBER WIRE SAW IS A NOVEL BONDED ABRASIVE WIRE SAW THAT UTILIZES THE HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH OF CARBON FIBERS. ALTHOUGH PRESENT HIGHEST TENSILESTRENGTH CARBON FIBERS EXHIBIT ONLY 575KSI, NEAR TERM MARKETING OF 750KSI FIBERS IS EXPECTED. REPORTS INDICATE LABORATORY RESULTS IN THE ORDER OF 1MSI. THE RESEARCH PLANSCALL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ABRASIVE SOL-GEL COATING TO BE APPLIED ONTO THE CARBON FIBER WHICH HAS BEEN IMPREGNATED AND COATED WITH A HARD METAL FILM. SOL-GEL PROCESSES INVOLVE INCORPORATION OF SIC SURFACE MODIFIED ABRASIVE GRANULES IN HIGH DENSITIES IN A SI BASED SOL-GEL. THE WIRE IS DESIGNED FOR MONODIRECTIONAL SAWING (OPPOSED TO RECIPROCATING) AND THE SOL-GEL ACTS AS A SACRIFICIAL HOST TOTHE ABRASIVE PARTICULATE. A SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF WIRE DIAMETER BETWEEN 50 AND 150 MICRON WILL BE CONDUCTED FOR VARIOUS ABRASIVE SIZES (10,25,40 MICRON). AS A DEMONSTRATION, A SMALL DIAMETER SILICON INGOT WILL BE SLICEDAND THE WAFER, AS WELL AS WIRE WEAR, WILL BE ANALYZED. FUTURE PLANS FOR ON-LINE WIRE REHABILITATION ARE OUTLINED. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE KERF LOSSES WILL BE REDUCED BY A FACTOR OF 2.5 IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND ABOUT 3.3 IN THE LONG TERM.