A reusable grinding tool consisting of a replaceable single layer of abrasive particles intimately bonded to a precisely configured tool substrate, and a process for manufacturing the grinding tool. The tool substrate may be ceramic or metal and the abrasive particles are preferably diamond, but may be cubic boron nitride. The manufacturing process involves: coating a configured tool substrate with layers of metals, such as titanium, copper and titanium, by physical vapor deposition (PVD); applying the abrasive particles to the coated surface by a slurry technique; and brazing the abrasive particles to the tool substrate by alloying the metal layers. The precision control of the composition and thickness of the metal layers enables the bonding of a single layer or several layers of micron size abrasive particles to the tool surface. By the incorporation of an easily dissolved metal layer in the composition such allows the removal and replacement of the abrasive particles, thereby providing a process for replenishing a precisely machined grinding tool with fine abrasive particles, thus greatly reducing costs as compared to replacing expensive grinding tools.
A bond for a metal single layer abrasive tool can be easily chemically and electrochemically stripped from the metal core of a recovered used tool to facilitate reuse of the core. Relative to conventionally bonded tools, the speed of stripping the novel bond is quick, and the stripped core has a smooth, clean surface which needs only minimal mechanical repair prior to reuse. The composition of the novel bond consists essentially of copper, tin and titanium. It can be brazed at temperatures below diamond graphitization and is chemically compatible with diamond. Hence, the bond is particularly useful for the manufacture of large diameter, superabrasive metal single layer abrasive wheels employed in the construction industry. The bond can be applied to the cutting surface of the abrasive tool as a uniform mixture of bronze alloy, titanium compound and copper powders. The powders may be mixed with a liquid vehicle and applied as a paste. The method of brazing the bond incorporates heating the bond composition to a temperature at most about 880.degree. C. to melt the bronze alloy and titanium compound components, and raising the temperature to at least about 900.degree. C. to dissolve the copper. The bond can also include an about 10-200 .mu.m thick barrier layer of copper coating the cutting surface between the core and the bond composition.
A method for producing a durable, non-stick, diamond-tiled implement and the diamond-tiled implement thereby produced. Diamond particles are distributed on a surface of a workpiece containing a ceramic binder. The ceramic binder on the surface of the workpiece is heated to above its glass temperature to fuse the diamond particles in and onto the workpiece. The workpiece is then cooled so that the diamond particles are bonded to and at least partially embedded in the ceramic binder at the surface of the workpiece to produce durable, non-stick, diamond-tiled implements including cookware, bakeware, hot-presses, ski surfaces, skid surfaces, marine articles, and mechanical polishing wheels. Other implements of this invention utilize a high diamond content to produce thermally conducting and electrically insulating coatings for heat spreaders or heaters.
