In this research work performance of copper-composite electrode reinforced with titanium carbide (TiC) in Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) and Powder Mixed EDM (PMEDM) is evaluated. For which a Cu-20% TiC composite electrode was made using powder metallurgy technique and the performance of this composite electrode is compared with traditional pure copper electrode. For parametric optimisation Taguchi's L27 orthogonal array is used. The performance is evaluated in terms of Material Removal Rate (MRR), Tool Wear Rate (TWR) & Surface roughness (SR). Experimental results have revealed that composite electrode has performed better than pure copper electrode in terms of Tool wear rate (TWR), reducing TWR by 21–24% due to increase in hardness & thermal stability. PMEDM results in increased MRR while keeping TWR and SR same by addition of silicon carbide (SiC) powder in dielectric fluid. Surface morphology was examined by using SEM and the results were in line with the experimental findings. A sustainable and effective solution for precision machining in the tool & die, aerospace, and automotive industries was provided by the combined effects of TiC reinforcement & powder addition, which improved energy transfer, discharge efficiency, and tool life.
Agrawal et al. (Wed,) studied this question.