Electrochemical machining characteristics and resulting surface quality of the nickel-base single-crystalline material LEK94

Nickel-base single-crystalline materials such as LEK94 possess excellent thermo-mechanical properties at high temperatures combined with low density compared to similar single-crystalline materials used in aero engines. Since the components of aero engines have to fulfil demanding safety standards, the machining of the material used for these components must result in a high geometrical accuracy in addition to a high surface quality. These requirements can be achieved by electrochemical and precise electrochemical machining (ECM/PECM). In order to identify proper machining parameters for PECM the electrochemical characteristics dependent on the microstructure and the chemical homogeneity of LEK94 are investigated in this contribution. The current density was found to be the major machining parameter affecting the surface quality of LEK94. It depends on the size of the machining-gap, the applied voltage and the electrical conductivity of the electrolyte used. Low current densities yield inhomogeneous electrochemical dissolution of different microstructural areas of the material and lead to rough surfaces. High surface qualities can be achieved by employing homogenous electrochemical dissolution, which can be undertaken by high current densities. Furthermore, a special electrode was developed for the improvement of the quality of side-gap machined surfaces.