Introduction to Manufacturing

Technology Lecture 7
Instructors:
(1)Shantanu Bhattacharya, ME, IITK, email:
bhattacs@iitk.ac.in
(2)Prof. Arvind Kumar, ME, IITK email:
arvindkr@iitk.ac.in

Review of last lecture

Electrochemical machining
basic principle.
Why is the ECM process a die
sinking process?
Electrolyte flow in an ECM
system.
Electrochemistry of ECM
process.
Ion-Ion, Ion Solvent

The Electrode Double layer

Electrod
e
surface

For the case of an electrode dipping into a

solution of an electrolyte, the total charge on
the electrode surface must balance the total
solution charge (opposite charge).
+
There is an electrostatic interaction
between the electrode charge and solution
charge.
+
Ions from the solution may approach the
electrode surface only so far as their inner
Outer
solvation shell.
Helmholt
The surface array of the ions is thus
z Plane
cushioned from the electrode surface by a
The line drawn through
the center
of such ions at this distance of
monolayer
of solvent.
closest approach marks a boundary known as the outer Helmholtz
plane.
The size of the ions forming the outer Helmholtz plane are larger
and the total no. of ions needed to do a complete charge balance
cannot be all fitted on this plane.
The remaining charges are all held with increasing disorder in the
outward direction into the solution. This layer is known as the

Electrod
e
surface

The Electrode Double Layer

The variation of the potential , with distance

from the electrode surface is shown in the figure
below.
Thus all the charge which neutralizes that on the
electrodes is held in a region between the outer
Helmholtz plane and the bulk of the electrolyte
solution.
This situation is very similar to that in Debye
Huckle theory for 3-D in a ion solution.
In the case of the planar electrode only 1-D
needs to be considered (normal to electrode
surface)

Outer
Helmholt
z Plane

As x ,

Electrod
e
surface

Capacitance Modeling of the diffuse

layer

There are effectively two components which

make up the total potential drop across the
interface; 0
Across the diffuse part and -0 across the
fixed part.
The total capacitance of the double layer, C,
is made up of that due to the inner layer,
which we may designate CH and that due to
the diffuse layer CD

Outer
Helmholt
z Plane

Electrochemical Machining
The gram equivalent weight of the metal is given by = A/Z, where
A is the atomic weight and Z is the valency of the ions produced.
The rate of mass removal is given by:
m = AI/ZF
If density of the anode material is , the volumetric removal rate is
given by
Q = AI/ ZF cm3/ sec,
Where
A = gram atomic weight of the metallic ions,
I = current (amperes)
= Density of the anode (gm/ cm3 ),
Z = valency of the cation,

Numerical Problems
In an electrochemical machining
process with a pure iron work-piece,
a removal rate of 5 cm3/ min. is
desired. Determine the current
required.

Numerical Problem
In the actual ECM process, there are many
other factors which affect the removal rate.
The process is seldom as ideal as we have
described.
The actual removal rate may vary slightly
from that obtained theoretically from
equation for Q
The theoretical and the actual
removal rates with nickel as work
material are shown in the figure
and they vary slightly.
The reason is that the theoretical
removal is based on Divalent
dissociation.

Multivalent dissociation
So, as the current is more, i.e., the dissolution takes place at a higher
potential difference, trivalent dissolution also occurs.
Therefore, at larger currents the theoretical values tend to be more
than the actual ones.
Sometimes the dissolution valence also depends on the electrolytes.
(For eg.: Copper dissolves in mono-valent form in chlorine solutions,
whereas in nitrate solutions, the dissolution takes place in divalent
state.
The table on left shows some imp. Data on
some elements

Anode made of Alloy

When the anode is made up of an alloy instead of pure metal, the
removal rate can be found out by considering the charge required to
remove an unit volume of each element.
If the atomic weights and the valencies of corresponding ions entering
the electrolyte are A1, A2, A3. and Z1, Z2, Z3.. Respectively, and
the composition by weight of the alloy is x1% of element 1, X2% of
element 2,., then a volume v cm3 of the alloy would contain vxi/
100 gram of the i th element, where is the overall density of the alloy
in gm/ cm3 . The charge required to remove the ith element in volume v
is given by:
(v xi/ 100). (Zi F/ Ai)
The the volume of the alloy removed per unit charge is
Q = (100/ F) ( 1/ (xiZi/ Ai)) cm3/ amp-sec or
Q = [(0.1035 X 10-2)/ ] ( 1/ (xiZi/ Ai)) cm3/ amp-sec

Numerical Problems
The Composition (%) weight of the Nimonic 75 alloy is given here:

Calculate the removal rate (in cm3/min.) when a current of 1000 amp is
passed. Use the lowest valency of dissolution of each element.

Numerical Problems

Numerical Problems