Open Access

ARTICLE

The Effect of Polymer-Assisted Abrasive Jets on the Surface Quality of Cut Marbles

Yunfeng Zhang, Dong Hu^*, Yuan Liu

School of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Loudi, 417000, China

* Corresponding Author: Dong Hu. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Effect of Materials Surface Properties on Fluid Dynamics Behavior)

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2025, 21(7), 1641-1655. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2025.065820

Received 22 March 2025; Accepted 09 May 2025; Issue published 31 July 2025

Abstract

To address the challenges of poor surface quality and high energy consumption in marble cutting, this study introduces an auxiliary abrasive jet cutting technology enhanced by the use of polyacrylamide (PAM) as a drag-reducing additive. The effects of feed rate (50–300 mm/min), polymer concentration (0–0.5 g/L), and nozzle spacing (4–12 mm) on kerf width and surface roughness are systematically investigated through an orthogonal experimental design. Results reveal that feed rate emerges as the most significant factor (p < 0.01), followed by PAM concentration and nozzle spacing. The optimal set of parameters, comprising a 200 mm/min feed rate, 0.3 g/L PAM concentration, and 6 mm nozzle spacing, achieves the narrowest kerf width (0.867 mm) and the lowest surface roughness (10.220 μm). Analysis of the underlying mechanisms demonstrates that PAM enhances the energy efficiency of the jet by suppressing turbulent pulsations and increasing fluid viscoelasticity, thereby minimizing energy loss during the cutting process.

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Keywords

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