Ceramic bonded abrasive

Abstract

Ceramic forming polymers are used to form a tailorable bonding matrix for abrasive grit such as diamond, diamond-like carbon, cubic boron nitride, boron carbide and/or silicon carbide. The ceramic forming polymer is unique in that it can be heated to convert it to a ceramic material at a low enough temperature to prevent damage to the abrasive grits. The ceramic forming polymer may also contain controlled amounts of silicon, carbon, oxygen, and other elements to optimize the properties of the abrasive. A toughening media such as additional ceramic forming polymer, metal and/or polymer resin can be infused into a model of the abrasive tool to permit further tailoring of the abrasive tool to meet widely varying demands of machining both very hard materials as well as softer but more abrasive materials.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An abrasive tooling material comprising: 
 a bonding material having abrasive grit bonded therein, the bonding material formed from a ceramic forming polymer.    
     
     
         2 . The abrasive tooling material of  claim 1 , wherein the abrasive grit includes at least one of: diamond, diamond-like carbon, polycrystalline diamond, cubic-boron nitride, boron carbide and silicon carbide.  
     
     
         3 . The abrasive tooling material of  claim 1 , wherein the bonding material is formed into a shape for use as a tool.  
     
     
         4 . The abrasive tooling material of  claim 3 , wherein the shape is one of: a cutting tool, a grinding tool, a sanding tool, a boring tool, a machining tool, a drilling tool, a lapping bit and a nozzle.  
     
     
         5 . The abrasive tooling material of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer includes at least one of: a polycarbosilane, a polysilazane, a polysilane, a silicon oxycarbide precursor and a silicon oxynitride precursor.  
     
     
         6 . The abrasive tooling material of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer includes at least one of: carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, silicon, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, nickel, iron, manganese, cobalt and copper.  
     
     
         7 . The abrasive tooling material of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer forms a porous ceramic web.  
     
     
         8 . The abrasive tooling material of  claim 7 , wherein the porous ceramic web includes at least one of a ceramic, a metal and a polymer resin infused therein.  
     
     
         9 . The abrasive tooling material of  claim 8 , wherein the metal is non-reactive with the ceramic.  
     
     
         10 . The abrasive tooling material of  claim 8 , wherein the metal is at least one of: nickel, copper, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, iron, manganese, cobalt and zirconium.  
     
     
         11 . The abrasive tooling material of  claim 8 , wherein the polymer resin is chosen from the group comprising: a polyimide resin and a phenolic resin.  
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing an abrasive tool, the method comprising the steps of: 
 mixing an abrasive grit with a ceramic forming polymer to form a mixture;    forming the mixture into a model having a desired shape for the abrasive tool; and    curing the ceramic forming polymer to form the abrasive tool.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of curing includes: 
 heating the model in an inert gas; and    allowing the model to cool in the inert gas.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of infusing a toughening media into the model.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of infusing is repeated at least four cycles; and 
 wherein the step of infusing is repeated no more than twelve cycles.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of machining the model between infusing cycles.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the toughening media is different from one infusing cycle to another infusing cycle.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the toughening media is a ceramic forming polymer for at least one infusing cycle and at least one of a metal and a polymer resin for at least one other infusing cycle.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the toughening media is at least one of a ceramic forming polymer, a metal and a polymer resin.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein when the toughening media is a metal, the infusing step includes second heating the model in an inert gas while the model is exposed to a metal.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the metal is at least one of nickel, copper, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, iron, manganese, cobalt and zirconium.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein when the toughening media is a polymer resin, the infusing step includes applying pressure to the model to infuse the polymer resin into the model.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the polymer resin is chosen from the group comprising: a polyimide resin and a phenolic resin.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer is chosen from at least one of: a polycarbosilane, a polysilazane, a polysilane, a silicon oxycarbide precursor and a silicon oxynitride precursor.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer includes at least one of: carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, silicon, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, nickel, iron, manganese, cobalt and copper.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of forming includes pressing the mixture into a mold to form the model.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the pressure is at least approximately 1,500 pounds per square inch, and 
 wherein the pressure is no more than approximately 3,000 pounds per square inch.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the pressure is approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of forming includes at least one of the following steps: uniaxial pressing, cold isostatic pressing, hot isostatic pressing, hot pressing, reaction bonding or reactive sintering using the ceramic forming polymer.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the abrasive grit has a grit size of less than 1 micrometer; and 
 wherein the grit size is no more than 250 micrometers.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer makes up at least 3% of the mass of the mixture; and 
 wherein the ceramic forming polymer makes up no more than 25% of the mass of the mixture.    
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer makes up at least 5% of the mass of the mixture; and 
 wherein the ceramic forming polymer makes up no more than 15% of the mass of the mixture.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the abrasive grit has various grit sizes.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the abrasive grit includes at least one of: diamond, diamond-like carbon, polycrystalline diamond, cubic-boron nitride, boron carbide and silicon carbide.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer is chosen from at least one of: a polycarbosilane, a polysilazane, a polysilane, a silicon oxycarbide precursor and a silicon oxynitride precursor.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer includes at least one of: carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, silicon, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, nickel, iron, manganese, cobalt and copper.  
     
     
         37 . An abrasive tool constructed according to the method of  claim 12 .  
     
     
         38 . The abrasive tool of  claim 37 , wherein the abrasive is in the form of one of: a cutting tool, a grinding tool, a sanding tool, a boring tool, a machining tool, a drilling tool and a lapping bit.  
     
     
         39 . A composition for use in making an abrasive tool, the composition comprising: 
 a mixture of abrasive grit and a ceramic forming polymer.    
     
     
         40 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the abrasive grit has a grit size of less than 1 micrometer; and 
 wherein the grit size is no more than 250 micrometers.    
     
     
         41 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer makes up at least 3% of the mass of the mixture; and 
 wherein the ceramic forming polymer makes up no more than 25% of the mass of the mixture.    
     
     
         42 . The composition of  claim 41 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer makes up at least 5% of the mass of the mixture; and 
 wherein the ceramic forming polymer makes up no more than 15% of the mass of the mixture.    
     
     
         43 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the abrasive grit has various grit sizes.  
     
     
         44 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the abrasive grit includes at least one of: diamond, diamond-like carbon, polycrystalline diamond, cubic-boron nitride, boron carbide and silicon carbide.  
     
     
         45 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer is chosen from at least one of: a polycarbosilane, a polysilazane, a polysilane, a silicon oxycarbide precursor and a silicon oxynitride precursor.  
     
     
         46 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the ceramic forming polymer includes at least one of: carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, silicon, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, nickel, iron, manganese, cobalt and copper.  
     
     
         47 . An abrasive tool comprising: 
 an abrasive grit bonded in a bonding material comprised of a ceramic.    
     
     
         48 . The abrasive tool of  claim 47 , wherein the bonding material further includes at least one of a metal and a polymer resin.  
     
     
         49 . The abrasive apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the ceramic is in the form of a porous web and the at least one metal and polymer resin are infused into a portion of the porous web.