Microstructure and Processing Performance of Brazed Diamond Micro-Powder Grinding Wheel with Ni-Based Filler Alloy

In this study, a brazed diamond micro-powder grinding wheel with Ni-based filler metal was fabricated, which achieved one-step grinding forming of YG-6 cemented carbide rods. The interfacial microstructure, elemental diffusion behavior, and interfacial phases of the brazed diamond micro-powder joint were systematically characterized. Furthermore, the machining performance of the brazed diamond micro-powder grinding wheel was comprehensively evaluated in combination with its service life and the surface roughness of the machined YG-6 cemented carbide rods. The results show that the Ni-based filler exhibits good wettability to diamond micro-powder particles, and the diamonds have a reasonable protrusion height in the filler layer, with no graphitization observed on the surface of the brazed diamonds. During the brazing process, the active element Cr continuously segregates toward the diamond surfaces and reacts progressively with dissolved C atoms on the diamond surfaces, eventually forming a lath-shaped Cr-C compound layer on the diamond surfaces. XRD results identify this compound as Cr₃C₂. Elemental diffusion occurs between the filler layer and the steel substrate, forming a Fe-Ni solid solution diffusion zone. Consequently, the Ni-based filler forms a reliable chemical metallurgical bond with both the diamond micro-powder particles and the steel substrate. The as-prepared brazed diamond micro-powder grinding wheel exhibits excellent service life: a single wheel can grind more than 1300 YG-6 cemented carbide rods on average before failure. The surface roughness (Ra) of the machined YG-6 cemented carbide workpieces remains below 1.6 μm throughout all processing stages, which satisfies the requirements for one-step precision grinding.