This book provides a systematic and comprehensive interdisciplinary
overview of ductile mode cutting of brittle materials, covering a range
of topics from the fundamental physics to engineering practices.
Discussing the machining mechanics and material properties, it explains
the fundamental mechanism of ductile-to-brittle transition in the
cutting of brittle materials. It also presents theoretical modeling and
molecular dynamic simulation to demonstrate that ductile mode cutting
can be achieved under certain conditions, as well as extensive
experimental studies that produced smooth and damage-free surfaces on
different materials, such as silicon, glass, tungsten carbide and
calcium fluoride. Lastly, it explores how the ductile mode cutting
performance and machinability of brittle materials can be further
improved by hybrid machining processes like ultrasonic vibration and
thermal-assisted cutting technologies in order to meet industry demands.