Method and apparatus for cutting and cleaning a superhard substrate
An apparatus and method for machining a superhard substrate comprising: a means for pre-cooling a non-aqueous cutting fluid at a temperature below 20 degrees C. and at atmospheric pressure to form a subcooled cutting fluid; a capillary tube injector, which saturates said subcooled cutting fluid with the solid and gas carbon dioxide; an inline static mixer for combining said subcooled cutting fluid and said solid and gas carbon dioxide; a spray application tool for applying said carbon dioxide saturated subcooled cutting fluid to the superhard substrate during a machining process; and a recovering apparatus for collecting said residual cutting fluid from the machined superhard substrate; said recovering apparatus can comprise a carbon dioxide spray cleaning, a liquid carbon dioxide immersion cleaning, or a supercritical carbon dioxide cleaning.
1. A method for machining a superhard substrate comprising the steps of:
a. Cooling a non-aqueous cutting fluid to a temperature below 20 degrees C. and at atmospheric pressure to form a subcooled cutting fluid;
b. Saturating said subcooled cutting fluid with carbon dioxide to form a carbon dioxide saturated subcooled cutting fluid;
c. Applying said carbon dioxide saturated subcooled cutting fluid to the superhard substrate during a machining process; and
d. Recovering said cutting fluid using a carbon dioxide spray cleaning, a liquid carbon dioxide immersion cleaning, or a supercritical carbon dioxide cleaning.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein non-aqueous fluid comprises alkenes, alkanes, alkynes, esters, alcohols, glycols, silanes, siloxanes, silanols, synthetic, semi-synthetic, bio-based, oxygenated fluid, or ozonated fluid.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the carbon dioxide is a mixture of gas and solid.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the cutting fluid is between −40 degrees C. and +20 degrees C.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the cutting fluid is between −20 degrees C. and +10 degrees C.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the superhard substrate is a vitreous, crystalline, or aggregate material.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the superhard substrate is sapphire, carbide, ceramic, glass, or silicon.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said machining process is dicing, turning, lapping, polishing, or grinding.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said machining process uses a machining tool comprising a dicing blade, a cutting insert, a grinding tool, a polishing tool, or a lapping tool.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said subcooled carbon dioxide saturated cutting fluid is sprayed at said machining tool or is sprayed through said machining tool.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein said cutting fluid exhibits high solubility for carbon dioxide.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein cohesion parameter of said cutting fluid is between 12 MPa½ and 30 MPa½.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein said cutting fluid contains anti-corrosion, anti-foaming, or extreme pressure additives.
14. A method for machining a superhard substrate comprising the steps of:
a. Cooling a non-aqueous cutting fluid to a temperature below 20 degrees C. and at atmospheric pressure to form a subcooled cutting fluid;
b. Saturating said subcooled cutting fluid with carbon dioxide to form a carbon dioxide saturated subcooled cutting fluid; and
c. Applying said carbon dioxide saturated subcooled cutting fluid to the superhard substrate during a machining process.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein said cutting fluid is removed from the superhard substrate using a carbon dioxide cleaning spray, a liquid carbon dioxide immersion cleaning or a supercritical carbon dioxide cleaning.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein non-aqueous fluid comprises alkenes, alkanes, alkynes, esters, alcohols, glycols, silanes, siloxanes, silanols, synthetic, semi-synthetic, bio-based, oxygenated fluid, or ozonated fluid.
17. The method of claim 14 wherein the superhard substrate is a vitreous, crystalline, or aggregate material.
18. An apparatus for machining a superhard substrate comprising:
a. A means for pre-cooling a non-aqueous cutting fluid at a temperature below 20 degrees C. and at atmospheric pressure to form a subcooled cutting fluid;
b. A capillary tube injector, which saturates said subcooled cutting fluid with the solid and gas carbon dioxide to form a carbon dioxide saturated subcooled cutting fluid;
c. An inline static mixer for combining said subcooled cutting fluid and said solid and gas carbon dioxide;
d. A spray application tool for applying said carbon dioxide saturated subcooled cutting fluid to the superhard substrate during a machining process; and
e. A recovering apparatus for collecting said residual cutting fluid from the machined superhard substrate; said recovering apparatus comprises a carbon dioxide spray cleaning, a liquid carbon dioxide immersion cleaning, or a supercritical carbon dioxide cleaning.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein non-aqueous fluid comprises alkenes, alkanes, alkynes, esters, alcohols, glycols, silanes, siloxanes, silanols, synthetic, semi-synthetic, bio-based, oxygenated fluid, or ozonated fluid.