Direct Photonic Fusion of Vitrified Bonding Materials

The purpose of this study is to show the effects of the direct fusion of raw materials used for vitrified grinding wheels by photonic interactions. The paper describes the construction of a sintering apparatus that employs a pulsed neodymium: yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser to fuse a combination of raw materials such as ball clay, feldspar, and borax to form a partially-crystalline glass material. The experimental results show that lasers can replace traditional methods of glass frit formation by fusing raw materials used in the manufacture of glass bonds for vitrified grinding wheels. X-ray diffraction data shows that a glass with short range order has formed using the new method. The work described herein provides a new avenue for glass frit formation applied to grinding wheel manufacture.