Advances in low-damage grinding technology for hard and brittle optical materials

Hard and brittle materials are critical components of optical systems. Due to their unique mechanical properties, these materials' surfaces are highly susceptible to damage during the grinding process. Surface damage on optical components significantly reduces their mechanical strength, laser damage resistance, and impact resistance. Therefore, it is imperative to research grinding technologies that minimize surface damage in hard and brittle optical materials. This paper begins by examining the grinding mechanisms of hard and brittle optical materials, summarizing the mechanisms of surface damage, the transition between toughness and brittleness, and their applications. Additionally, the research progress of ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding technology is reviewed. The influence of processing parameters, such as grinding force, grinding depth, and wheel morphology, on subsurface damage is investigated. The study also explores how parameter control in the grinding process can predict surface damage and analyzes the mechanisms, advantages, and disadvantages of ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding technology in mitigating grinding damage.