Electrolytic machining system

A method for electrolytically machining a workpiece consisting essentially of sintered tungsten carbide alloy having added thereto titanium carbide and/or tantalum carbide comprising the steps of:

• positioning a machining electrode opposite a surface portion of a workpiece consisting essentially of sintered tungsten carbide alloy having added thereto titanium carbide and/or tantalum carbide to form a small machining gap therebetween;
• flowing an aqueous electrolyte solution through said machining gap, said electrolyte solution consisting essentially of 5% to saturated value by weight of an alkali metal chloride selected from a group consisting of sodium chloride and potassium chloride, and an alkali metal compound selected from the group consisting of 3.6%-5.3% by weight of sodium hydroxide, up to 7.5% by weight of potassium hydroxide, up to 7.1% by weight of sodium carbonate, up to 9.2% by weight of potassium carbonate, up to 11.2% by weight of sodium bicarbonate, and up to 13.3% by weight of potassium bicarbonate;
• and passing an alternating electric current through said electrolyte solution in said machining gap, through said workpiece and through said machining electrode to render said workpiece anodic during part of the cycle of said alternating current to form oxides including water-soluble tungsten oxide and titanium oxide and/or tantalum oxide on the workpiece surface and to render said workpiece cathodic during the reverse part of the cycle of said alternating current to cause said water-insoluble oxides to react with alkali metal ions in said electrolyte solution to form reaction products which are soluble in water to thereby dissolve said oxides and prevent oxide accumulation on the workpiece surface.