ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING MEDIUM

摘要

There is described an electrical discharge machining medium which is a mixture of water and (a) a water-soluble compound of formula: wherein R1 is an alkyl group containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R2 is a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an ethyl group; n is an integer of 4 to 100, inclusive; or (b) a compound which contains at least one oxygen-containing hydrocarbon chain of the general formula R-O-A-H)m wherein A is a recurring oxyethylene group or a mixture of oxyethylene and one or both of oxypropylene and oxybutylene groups which do not interfere with the solubility of the compound; R is a hydrocarbon chain containing 3 to 8 carbon atoms; O is an oxygen atom forming an ether bond with a carbon atom constituting R; and m is an integer of 3 to 6, inclusive, which compound contains at least two groups of the formula -CH2CH2O-, has an average molecular weight not exceeding 5000, and is and remains liquid during machining, or a mixture of said compounds (a) and (b). This medium contributes to a decreased electrode consumption rate and an increased machining speed.