Effect of low-temperature on the performance parameters of suspension-type abrasive water jet machining of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber

The failure or damage of metal joints in many mining equipments can shut down the whole machinery. This problem can be solved by employing wear-resistant, non-corrosive, and shock-resistant rubbers, such as Acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (ABR), at the critical joints. These components are made mostly by molding, followed by machining. Transferring used molds to other working units is complicated, necessitating a different way of producing rubber components. Machining such components using a suspension-type abrasive water jet (AWJ) machine is possible. But high kerf taper ratio (KTg.) and low material removal rate (MRR) are observed due to the viscoelastic behavior and elastic deformation throughout the rubber during machining. However, machining rubber at its glass transition temperature (T_g) range can solve the high elasticity problems encountered during its room-temperature machining. Hence, the study focuses on machining 15 mm thick ABR under conventional (room) and low-temperature conditions using suspension-type AWJ. The water jet pressure (WJP), traverse rate (V{), and stand-off distance (SOD) are the process parameters. This work confirmed that the machining of ABR under low-temperature conditions produced low KTR and high MRR and reduced the amount of embedded Garnet particles at the machined ABR surface significantly.