EFFECTS OF DIAMOND GRAIN CHARACTERISTICS ON SAWBLADE WEAR

One-segmented diamond sawblades containing diamond with varying degrees of etch pits were manufactured to study the wear behaviour of diamond grains during the sawing of granite. The worn surfaces of the diamond segments were analysed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the forces acting on the tool and the wear performance were measured. The results showed that a sawblade containing diamond with a small number of pits during sawing displays predominantly microfractured worn particles on the working segment surface, a lower sawing force, and a better wear performance. When a tool containing a greater number of extensive pits on the diamond grains is used, a higher proportion of macrofracture occurred and wear flats appeared on the worn diamonds. In addition, the sawing forces are relatively higher and the blade performance is poorer.