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    Engis Micron Diamond and CBN Superabrasive Powders

     

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    • Engis Micron Diamond and CBN Powders

    Diamond Struture
    SURFACE ENGINEERING THROUGH DIAMOND EXPERTISE

    Man with microscopeADVANCED PROCESS DEVELOPMENT
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    Engis is a Worldwide Leader in the Micronizing of Diamond Powders and is Unsurpassed in its Ability to Customize High-Quality Diamond and CBN Powders for any Application including:

    • Feedstock for PCD & PCBN manufacturing
    • Micron diamond powder for precision grinding wheel manufacturing
    • High precision diamond for the hard disk drive industry
    • Advanced Materials processing (silicon carbide, sapphire, III-V nitrides)
    • Optics and electronics polishing applications

    We process our diamond powder to your exacting specifications selecting only the finest diamond feedstocks.  This careful selection of feedstocks, coupled with our special grading process, ensures that you receive diamond powder that meets stringent quality and repeatability criteria.  Each lot of diamond powder is individually checked for size, shape and cleanliness.  This process ensures consistent quality and superior performance suited to your individual application.

    Each micron diamond and CBN product is designed, manufactured & qualified to possess a specific set of chemical & physical properties which ensure its performance.

    Our objective is to ensure consistent performance in each application by supplying micron diamond and CBN products whose properties are precisely defined and controlled.

    We Specialize in Consistent...

    • customized particle size distribution
    • high surface cleanliness of diamond particles
    • high purity diamond powder (having a low level of intrinsic & extrinsic impurities)
    • diamond particle shape
    • mechanical properties
    Engis Diamond Powders

    ENGIS Product Quality and Consistency

    Engis Corporation maintains a highly technical staff of scientists, engineers and chemists to support its development of superabrasive powders.  This team has a wide range of expertise in diamond synthesis, characterization of diamond properties, chemical formulations and process applications which enables us to address virtually all of the challenges you may face with your diamond product performance.

    Our staff has at its disposal a custom built Diamond Characterization Laboratory that includes standard commercial equipment, along with Engis custom designed and patented equipment for the characterization and testing of superabrasive powders.  Additionally, we have three applications labs (HDD, Advanced Materials & Industrial Lapping Process Development ) at our disposal for application testing. 

    powder Characteristics-1


    Particle Size Distribution (PSD)

    No other company in the industry can match Engis’ ability to control PSD, particularly in the sub-micron range.  Engis employs a variety of measurement techniques and analyzers for the determination of Particle Size Distribution of micron diamond and CBN powders.  This guarantees the diamond powder you purchase from Engis is graded to internal specifications which equal or exceed ANSI and FEPA Standards and are controlled under our ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

    The Particle Size Distribution of a powder is determined by analyzing a large number of the particles and developing a PSD for the sample. The PSD is then used to verify conformance to the required size specification.  Four characteristics of the PSD must meet specification for the powder to be accepted; typically those characteristics are 5% (minimum), Mean/Median, 95% (maximum) and 99.9% (largest particle).

    Technique and Equipment

    • Electrozone sensing technique using the Beckman-Coulter Multisizer III
    • Uses the Coulter principle to measure particle volume and diameter
    • High resolution with digital pulse processing and 300 channel range
    • Disk centrifuge (sedimentation) technique using the CPS DC24000
    • Particle size derived from sedimentation time under centrifugal force
    • Very high resolution technique that can cleanly separate narrow peaks that differ in size by as little as 2%

    Surface Cleanliness

    We have extensive experience along with the proper equipment and processes to ensure that the powders that we supply are 100% contaminant free.  If you are manufacturing bonded superabrasive tools or grinding wheels, the surface cleanliness of the diamond and CBN particles is a key factor in achieving a strong bond regardless if you are utilizing a mechanical or electrochemical process.

    If your manufacturing procedure calls for utilizing diamond slurries or compounds, the surface cleanliness of diamond particles themselves is critical to achieving good particle dispersion.  And, if you are manufacturing PCD or PCBN blanks, the cleanliness of the surface of diamond and CBN particles is of paramount importance towards achieving good high pressure-high temperature sintering.

    The manufacturing of micron superabrasive powders involves chemical processes that are meant to remove all inorganic contaminants (metallic and ceramic residues) from the end product. During these processes, the micron powder is exposed to reaction with inorganic acids and salts.  It is during the classification or grading stage, that the micronizer may “contaminate” the powder through the introduction of certain chemical substances (surfactants and dispersants) which facilitate particle dispersion and thus, classification.  These chemical substances that are absorbed to the particle surface, if not properly removed afterwards, account for surface contamination.

    The task of achieving high surface purity is a very difficult one, particularly in the sub-micron size range, knowing the finer the size of the powder, the higher the surface area.  

    Technique and Equipment
    We utilize Ion Chromatography (IC) to conduct quantitative analysis of the presence and concentration of ionic contaminants (anions and cations) extracted from the surface of the diamond particles.

    Anion Analysis

    Anion Analysis

     

    Cation Analysis

    Cation Analysis


    Extrinsic & Intrinsic Impurities

    At Engis we use inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) for quantitative chemical analysis, which can successfully measure the level of extrinsic and intrinsic impurities.  Metallic and ceramic residues usually accompany the diamond/CBN feedstock materials.  During size reduction or the milling stage of the micronizing process, intrinsic impurities (metallic and graphitic) trapped within the crystals, are released and introduced as extrinsic impurities to the resulting micron powder. Metallic impurities are also introduced as a result of mechanical wearing of the milling equipment.

    Silicon oxide (SiO2), silicon carbide (SiC) and aluminium oxide (Al2O3) are the most common ceramic contaminants, while iron, nickel and chromium account for the most common metallic contaminants.  Ceramic and metallic impurities are removed from the micron powder during cleaning and purification stages. If present in feedstock material, ceramic residues are difficult to remove through regular cleaning processes; which is why micron powders available on the market are sometimes contaminated with materials such as Al2O3, SiO2 and SiC.

    Extrinsic or Bulk Impurities
    The presence of extrinsic impurities (non-diamond or non-CBN materials) in superabrasive powders is known to alter its performance, therefore, superabrasive powders consisting of 100% diamond/CBN material are required, regardless of the application.

    Intrinsic or Trapped Impurities
    The catalytic high pressure-high temperature synthesis of diamond and CBN involves a solvent-catalyst that assists the phase transformation (graphite to diamond or hexagonal BN to cubic BN).  Hence, all diamond and CBN materials synthesized by the HP-HT catalytic process contain impurities that are trapped in the diamond/CBN crystal during the crystal growth process.  The most common impurities in diamond crystals are Fe, Co, Ni, and Mn, while most common impurities in CBN crystals are Li, Ca, Mn, Al, Si, and Fe.

    To a large extent the intrinsic impurities, as internal crystal defects, are responsible for the mechanical, thermal and optical properties of the crystal. The level of intrinsic impurities has a significant impact on mechanical strength and thermal stability.


    Dynamic Particle Shape Analysis

    Irrespective of whether they are bonded into a wheel or tool, mixed into a slurry or compound, or even as a dry powder, only three dimensional abrasive particles will provide you with good cutting action.


    Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) provides qualitative data about diamond type, size and surface
    Scanning electron optical microscope  Optical microscope based image analysis equipment

    Both size and shape parameters measured

    Diameter Aspect ratio

    Mechanical Properties

    At Engis we measure the Mechanical Strength of both diamond or CBN crystals, which is the ability resist fracturing under static or dynamic (impact) loading.  This is the most important property of the crystal and mirrors all other properties (size, shape and level of crystal growth defects).  Crystal’s strength is critical to you when choosing a product as certain applications, such as working with stones and construction materials, which will require a diamond that will stay strong, not fracturing and ultimately losing its sharpness.

    Technique and Equipment
    • Mechanical strength of diamond/CBN crystals is measured through crushing a sample consisting of a large number of crystals sharing similar size, shape and level of crystal growth defects under controlled loading and shear
    • Our in-house developed technique uses a combination of compressive and shear forces to crush micron sized diamond powder
    • Particle Size Distribution (PSD) is measured before and after crushing
    • The Crushing Strength Index is calculated based on that portion of PSD which remains true to size after crushing
    Mechanical Properties - Crushed vs Uncrushed


    We also analyze Micro-Fracturing Characteristics which is the ability of diamond/CBN particles to fracture under severe mechanical stresses and develop new fresh cutting edges and points (a so-called self-sharpening mechanism).

    Mechanical Properties

    Particle Size Analyzers

    Technique and Equipment

    We utilize the appropriate particle size analyzers and analysis techniques to analyze the “crushed” diamond/CBN powders in micron and submicron size range, from which the differences in the amount and size of “fine chips” generated during crushing can be revealed.

    The fine particle analysis shows that the RA and MA powders exhibit different micro-fracturing characteristics with RA diamond powder generating more fine particles less than 1 micron when compared to the MA4 diamond powders.


    Micron Particle Sizing & Sub-Micron Fine Particle Analysis

    Micron Particle Sizing  Sub-Micron Fine Particle Analysis

     

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    • Engis Micron Diamond and CBN Powders
      • Diamond and CBN Powder Applications
    • Lapping & Polishing
      • Hyprez® Diamond & Colloidal Slurries and Dispensing Units
      • Hyprez® Diamond Compound
      • Fastlap Machines
      • Hyprez® Lap Plate Facing & Grooving
      • Hyprez® Lapping Plates
      • Hyprez® Polishing Pads
      • Helical Laps
    • Wafering Solutions
      • EAG Grinder - Single Spindle
      • EAG Grinder - Dual Spindle
      • HVG Grinder Series
    • Superabrasive Tools
      • Electroplated Superabrasive Grinding Wheels
      • Foundry Products
      • Electromill® Diamond Milling
      • Diamond CBN Saw Blades
      • Diamond CBN Pins & Mandrels
      • Electroplated Dressing Blocks, Files & Specialty Tools
      • Replate Service and Technical Support
    • Bore Honing Systems
      • Bore Finishing Process
      • Precision Bore Honing Machines
      • Automation and Gauging Packages
      • Dual Diameter Bore Finishing
      • Multi-Stroke Honing Systems
      • Contract Honing Services
      • Helical Laps
    • Mold & Die Polishing
      • Polishing Compounds
      • Diprofil Finishing Systems
      • Polishing Accessories
      • Sapphire Glass Polishing Kit
    105 West Hintz Road, Wheeling, IL 60090
    Call: 847-808-9400
    Fax: +1-847-808-9430
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