Influence of the countermaterial on the dry sliding friction and wear behaviour of low temperature carburized AISI316L steel

Low temperature carburising (LTC) allows a significant hardness increase, with a consequent increase in wear resistance, without deteriorating corrosion behaviour. However, wear resistance strongly depends on contact conditions, therefore this work focuses on the dry sliding behaviour of LTC-treated AISI316L austenitic stainless steel against several countermaterials (AISI316L, LTC-treated AISI316L, hard chromium or plasma-sprayed Al₂O₃–TiO₂). LTC produced a hardened surface layer (C-supersaturated expanded austenite), which improved corrosion resistance in NaCl 3.5% and increased wear resistance, to an extent which depends on both normal load and countermaterial. The best results were obtained when at least one of the contacting bodies was LTC-treated, because this condition led to mild tribo-oxidative wear. However, LTC did not improve the behaviour in terms of friction.     

Effects of pH and Oxidizer on Chemical Mechanical Polishing of AISI 1045 Steel

AISI 1045 steel has been widely used as the substrate for thin film deposition. In some cases, an ultra-smooth surface of AISI 1045 steel is needed and is even indispensible for the satisfactory deposition of thin film. In this paper, chemical mechanical polishing technique was employed to prepare the ultra-smooth surface of AISI 1045 steel. The effects of pH and H₂O₂ on the polishing performance of AISI 1045 steel were investigated. It is revealed that, with the increase of pH, the material removal rate (MRR) and the static etching rate (SER) of AISI 1045 steel gradually decrease due to the formation of passive iron oxides on the top surface, and thus the surface quality gradually improves. At pH 4.00, with the addition of H₂O₂, the SER of AISI 1045 steel is further suppressed; while the MRR of AISI 1045 steel first dramatically increases due to the formation of porous iron oxides with relatively low mechanical strength on the surface when the H₂O₂ concentration increases from 0 to 0.01 wt%, and then decreases since the porous iron oxides gradually grow compact when the H₂O₂ concentration further increases. The increase of the compactness of the iron oxides might be attributed to the crystallization of γ-FeOOH into α-FeOOH and even into α-Fe₂O₃ and the resulting polymerization of the amorphous iron oxides.     

Abrasive wear behavior of boronized AISI 8620 steel

In this study, AISI 8620 steel was boronized using the solid state boronizing technique. Processes were carried out at the temperatures of 850, 900 and 950 °C for 2, 4 and 6 h of treatment. Abrasive wear behavior of the samples boronized at different temperatures and treatment durations have been examined. Using boronized and unboronized samples, abrasive tests were conducted using pin on disc test apparatus. 80 and 120 mesh aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) abrasive papers were used in the abrasion experiments and the samples were subjected to abrasion under 10, 20 and 30 N loads. Boronized steels exhibited an improvement in abrasive wear resistance reaching up to 500%. Microstructures and wear surfaces of the samples were inspected using SEM microscopy. SEM examinations revealed that the thickness of the boride layer on the steel surfaces changes with changing process durations and temperatures. The presence of boride formed in the borided layer at the surface of the steels were determined by XRD analysis and microhardness values of the iron borides (FeB, Fe₂B) formed on the steel surface were found to be over 1600 HV.     

Abrasive wear behavior of different case depth gas carburized AISI 8620 gear steel

In this study, abrasive wear behaviors of gas carburized AISI 8620 steels with different case depths were examined. AISI 8620 steels yield excellent carburizing results and are used in manufacturing of gears. Two carburized and quenched specimens with different case depths were produced. Specimens were prepared at HEMA Gear Factory. Wear tests were carried out using pin-on disc test machine. Specimens were abraded under 10, 25 and 40 N loads by using 80 grid Al₂O₃ and SiC abrasive papers. Mass losses were measured using an electronic balance with accuracy of 10⁻⁴ g. Results of this study reveal that data on laboratory samples can be used to interpret the abrasive wear performance of AISI 8620 gas carburized steel gears. It has been observed that gas carburizing time affects the case depth, and in turn, specimen with higher case depth has shown better wear resistance. In addition to this, as the case depth has increased, the hardness of the material has increased as well.     

Microstructural studies and impact toughness of dissimilar weldments between AISI 316 L and AH36 steels by FCAW

In this study, AISI 316 L austenitic stainless steel and AH36 low-alloy ship building steel pair were joined with flux-cored arc welding method by using E309LT1-1/4 filler metal under four different shielding gas compositions containing CO₂ at different ratios. Microstructure, impact toughness of welded materials, and their microhardness distribution throughout joining were determined. In macro- and microstructure examinations, stereo optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), SEM/energy dispersive spectroscopy, and SEM/mapping analysis techniques were used. After notched impact toughness, fracture surfaces were examined using the scanning electron microscope. This study investigated effects of shielding gas composition on microstructure, impact toughness, and microhardness distribution of transition zone between AH36 steel and weld metal of joined material. It is observed that based on an increase in amount of CO₂ in shielding gas, impact toughness values of the weldment decreased. Microhardness values change throughout weld metal depended on shielding gas composition. Moreover, an increase in amount of CO₂ within shielding gas decreased δ-ferrite amount in weld metal. The increase in amount of CO₂ within shielding gas leads to expanded transition zone in interface between AH36 and weld metal and also affects notched impact toughness values negatively due to the inclusion amounts occurring in weld metal and hence caused it to decrease.     

Laser composite surfacing of AISI 304 stainless steel with titanium boride for improved wear resistance

The present study concerns development of a hard in situ boride-dispersed composite layer on the surface of AISI 304 stainless steel substrate to improve the wear resistance property. Laser processing was carried out by melting the surface of sand-blasted AISI 304 stainless steel substrate using a continuous wave CO₂ laser and simultaneous deposition of a mixture of K₂TiF₆ (potassium titanium hexafluoride) and KBF₆ (potassium hexafloroborate) (in the weight ratio of 2:1) using Ar as shrouding environment. Powder feed rate was maintained constant at 4 g/min. Irradiation results in dissociation of a pre-deposited mixture along with a part of the stainless steel substrate, intermixing and rapid solidification to form the composite layer on the surface. The micro-structure of composite layer consists of dispersion of titanium boride particles in AISI 304 stainless steel matrix. Volume fraction of particles is found to be uniform throughout the composite layer, though varied with laser parameters. The micro-hardness of the surface was improved 250–350 VHN as compared to 220 VHN of the AISI 304 stainless steel substrate with a significant improvement in wear resistance property. The mechanism of wear was found to be a combination of adhesive and abrasive in as-received stainless steel. However, it was predominantly abrasive for laser composite surfaced stainless steel.     

Direct laser cladding of SiC dispersed AISI 316L stainless steel

The present study concerns development of SiC dispersed (5 and 20 wt%) AISI 316L stainless steel metal-matrix composites by direct laser cladding with a high power diode laser and evaluation of its mechanical properties (microhardness and wear resistance). A defect free and homogeneous composite layer is formed under optimum processing condition. The microstructure consists of partially dissociated SiC, Cr₃C₂ and Fe₂Si in grain refined stainless steel matrix. The microhardness of the clad layer increases to a maximum of 340 VHN (for 5% SiC dispersed) and 800 VHN (for 20% SiC dispersed) as compared to 150 VHN of commercially available AISI 316L stainless steel. Direct laser clad SiC dispersed AISI 316L stainless steel has shown an improved wear resistance against diamond surface with a maximum improvement in 20% SiC dispersed AISI 316L stainless steel. The mechanism of wear was predominantly abrasive in nature.     

Finite element modeling of burnishing of AISI 1042 steel

The aim of this study is to analyze the evolution of surface roughness finished by burnishing. Burnishing is done on a surface that was initially turned or turned and then ground. In a previous work, we have defined an analytical model to determine the R_t factor of burnished surfaces in relation to the feed f, the material displacement δ and the roughness R_ti of the initial surface. δ has been calculated using the Hertz contact theory which supposes that the behavior of the workpiece material is elastic. Hence, in this paper, we have defined a finite element model in which the elasto-plastic behavior of the piece is taken into account to determine the material displacement δ. This model has also permitted the calculation of the residual stresses related to the macroscopic contact geometry. Good correlations have been found between experimental and finite element results when burnishing an AISI 1042 steel.     

AISI4340高强钢在含氧和/或Cl-高温水中的应力腐蚀行为

采用慢拉伸应力腐蚀试验与应力腐蚀裂纹扩展试验,对AISI4340钢在含饱和氧和/或0.1 mol·L^-1的100℃水中的应力腐蚀行为进行研究。结果表明:100℃水中存在的氧或C一均可以增大AISI4340钢的应力腐蚀倾向,但在含Cl^-并除氧的100℃水中的应力腐蚀倾向不显著,慢拉伸断口依旧保留部分韧性断裂特征,而在含饱和氧的高温水中AISI4340钢发生完全脆性断裂,应力腐蚀倾向显著;氧或Cl^-均可提高AISI4340钢在100℃水中的应力腐蚀裂纹扩展速率,氧与Cl^-之间存在交互作用,二者共存显著提高了应力腐蚀倾向,并导致开裂后裂纹快速扩展。     

High temperature wear resistance of (TiAl)N PVD coating on untreated and gas nitrided AISI H13 steel with different heat treatments

The wear resistance of a PVD (Ti_0.7Al_0.3)N coating deposited on an as-received and gas nitrided AISI H13 has been examined by using ball-on-disc tests at room temperature and at 600 °C. In order to determine the influence of a previous heat treatment on this type of steel on the wear resistance of the (Ti_0.7Al_0.3)N coating, two commercial heat treatments were employed which gave rise to the same substrate hardness. Surface microhardness measurements have been carried out to determine the load-carrying capacity of the coated systems. In general, the wear behavior was found to be independent of the nature of the heat treatment applied to the substrate prior to the nitriding process but strongly dependent on the testing temperature. At room temperature, there were small variations between the different systems tested, whereas at high temperatures, clear differences were found between them. At 600 °C, a typical temperature that could be achieved during the aluminum extrusion processes, the nitrided H13 steel/(Ti_0.7Al_0.3)N PVD duplex coating shows a satisfactory wear resistance compared to both the nitrided steel and the steel substrate only coated with (Ti_0.6Al_0.4)N, which exhibited the worst performance. The satisfactory wear resistance observed for the duplex coating system at high temperature is mainly a consequence of two different aspects. Firstly, its higher load-carrying capacity due to the existence of a hard nitrided layer, as well as its high H/E ratio. Both parameters allow the presence of higher elastic strains without the failure of the ceramic layer, which would normally occur in the case of TiAlN PVD coatings deposited directly on the AISI H13 steel. Secondly, the intrinsic characteristics of the coating, i.e. its chemical constitution, which allows the formation of a dense oxide mixture inside the wear track that impedes both its further oxidation and the deterioration of the mechanical properties as consequence of nitrogen diffusion.     

Structural analysis and intergranular corrosion tests of AISI 316L steel

Pure AISI 316L steel is investigated after solution heat treatment (1050 °C/H₂O) and structural sensitization (650 °C). Two quite different intergranular corrosion tests are used to determine the degree of structural sensitization due to the precipitation of secondary phases along the grain boundaries (mainly the M₂₃C₆ and σ‐phase): the oxalic acid etch test and the electrochemical potentio‐kinetic reactivation test. Generally, the dissolution of chromium‐rich carbides (M₂₃C₆) is provoked by oxalic acid etch tests, whereas the chromium‐depleted zones, in the vicinity of chromium‐rich carbides (M₂₃C₆), are attacked by electrochemical potentio‐kinetic reactivation tests. Both intergranular corrosion tests are used to determine the maximum degree of structural sensitization. Thus structural analysis by carbon replicas reveals the Laves phase, and both the M₂₃C₆ and (Cr,Mo)_x(Fe,Ni)_y phases. The results of intergranular corrosion tests are related to the findings of the structural analysis.     

An investigation of surface roughness of burnished AISI 1042 steel

The aim of this study is to analyse the evolution of surface roughness finished by burnishing. Burnishing is done on a surface that was initially turned or turned and then ground.It has been noted that burnishing an AISI 1042 steel offers the best surface quality when using a small feed value. This finishing process improves roughness and introduces compressive residual stresses in the machined surface. So, it can replace grinding in the machining range of the piece.Also, an analytical model has been defined to determine the R_t factor in relation to the feed. Good correlations have been found between the experimental and analytical results.     

Sliding contacts for the pharmaceutical industry: failure analysis and dry sliding tests for the replacement of hard Cr on AISI 316L steel

Several alternatives were compared for the replacement of hard electroplated Cr coating to improve the tribological properties of the AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel for pharmaceutical packaging applications, including low temperature carburizing (LTC), thermal spray coatings (Al₂O₃-13TiO₂, WC-17Co), substitution of the AISI 301 reference counterface with polymeric materials (PTFE, UHMWPE, PEEK). In dry sliding block on ring tests, the LTC AISI 316L cylinders lead to the lowest wear rates of the AISI301 sliders under low loads (up to 10 N). When considering the polymer vs. uncoated AISI 316L couple, PEEK and UHMWPE lead to lower friction and comparable wear rates with respect to the reference couple (AISI 301 vs. Hard Cr coated-AISI 316L) in the whole range of tested loads.     

On the Tribocorrosion Responses of Two Stainless Steels

Tribocorrosion has considerable effects on AISI 304L used in olive processing equipment. In fact, some investigations have been conducted to compare the tribocorrosion behavior of AISI 304L to UNS 2205 stainless steels sliding against alumina in olive pomace–tap water filtrate. The active and passive surface states involved in tribocorrosion mechanisms of the steels have accordingly been analyzed. Mechanical and corrosion wear components were quantified. It was revealed that the tribocorrosion mechanism was dominated by mechanical removal. The mechanical resistance of UNS 2205 proved to be more important than that of AISI 304L. Furthermore, UNS 2205 was more sensitive to corrosion under sliding than AISI 304L due to its two-phase microstructure.     

Tribological Performance of Boronized,Nitrided, and Normalized AISI 4140 Steel against Hydrogenated Diamond-Like Carbon-Coated AISI D2 Steel

In the current work, AISI 4140 steel was pack-boronized at 950°C for 3 h and gas-nitrided at 550°C for 72 h. All specimens used in this work were prepared from the same steel bar. A 3-µm-thick diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating (a-C:H) was deposited on the AISI D2 high-carbon, high-chromium, cold-worked tool steel by a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique. Normalized, boronized, and nitrided steel pins were tested against DLC-coated AISI D2 steel at various normal loads (15, 30, 60, and 80 N) for 1,000 and 3,000 m sliding distance in ambient air. Specific wear rate of all pins decreased with increasing load, and a similar trend was observed for the coefficient of friction (COF). Microscopic and energy-dispersive spectroscopic (EDS) analysis confirmed the role of the transfer layer for a low COF with increasing load. At all loads, the specific wear rate of boronized pins was lower than that of the nitrided and normalized pin specimens. Boronized pins showed a specific wear rate in the range of 0.27 × 10^?8 to 0.44 × 10^?8 mm³/Nm and the COF was about 0.1.     

Experimental investigation and economic analysis of surfactant (Span-20) in powder mixed electrical discharge machining (PMEDM) of AISI D2 hardened steel

Abstract

Powder mixed EDM (PMEDM) is recognized as an advanced and innovative technique with enhanced performance and limited drawbacks in comparison to conventional EDM method. This study investigates the effect of powder particle size, various powder concentrations (C_p), and surfactant concentrations (C_s) on the performance of EDM. Since the machining characteristics are highly dependent on the dielectric performances, significant attention has been directed to introduce Cr powder and Span-20 surfactant into the dielectric fluid to achieve higher productivity and enhanced surface integrity. The EDM machining was carried out on AISI D2 hardened steel through ´Plug & Plaý dielectric circulating system attached to the main machine in order to evaluate the machining performances (i.e. MRR, EWR, and R_a). Interestingly, machining performance was improved with combination of Cr powder mixed and span-20 surfactant. By comparing the performance of span-20 surfactant and micro-nano chromium, the result within selected parameters shows that the span-20 surfactant and nano-chromium is the better choice for the EDM of AISI D2 hardened steel. In the machinability studies, the EDM machining of AISI D2 hardened steel by using span-20 surfactant and nano-chromium has exhibited the excellent machining performances, which led to 45.08% MRR enhancement and 68.89% R_a enhancement comparing to micro-chromium powder and span-20 surfactant led to 35.28% MRR and 28.96% R_a. Furthermore, cost analysis revealed that the nano-Cr powder size was approximately 4 times more economical than micro-Cr powder in machining of AISI D2 hardened steel, although the price for 1?kg is quite expensive.     

Surface textures and process characteristics of the electrolytic photoetching of annealed AISI 304 stainless steel in hydrochloric acid

Electrolytic photoetching of AISI 304 stainless steel surfaces in 10% (w/w) hydrochloric acid has been studied. A surface texture value of 1.35 μm ($\text{R}{}_{\mathrm{a}}$) has been measured for a commercially acceptable rate of etch (10 μm/min). Comparisons of this etching system with FeCl₃-HCl-H₂O spray systems used in conventional photochemical machining have also been made     

Investigation of mechanical properties of friction-welded AISI 304 with AISI 1021 dissimilar steels

Austenitic stainless steel and low alloy steels are extensively used in various automotive, aerospace, nuclear, chemical, and other general purpose applications. Joining of dissimilar metals is one of the challenging tasks and most essential need of the present-day industry. It has been observed that a wide range of dissimilar materials can be easily integrated by friction welding. The objectives of the present investigation were obtaining weldments between austenitic stainless steel (AISI 304) with low alloy steel (AISI 1021) and optimizing the friction welding parameters in order to establish the weld quality. In the present study, an experimental setup was designed in order to achieve friction welding of plastically deformed austenitic stainless steel and low alloy steel. AISI 304 and AISI 1021 steels were welded by friction welding using five different axial pressures at 1,430 rpm. The joining performances of friction-welded dissimilar joints were studied, and influences of these process parameters on the mechanical properties of the friction-welded joints were estimated. The joint strength was determined with tensile testing, and the fracture behavior was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and was supported and backed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. Furthermore, the proposed joints were tested for impact strength, and the microhardness across the joint was also evaluated.     

Wear of AISI 4340 steel under boundary lubrication

Wear tests were conducted using AISI 4340 steel sliding on AISI 01 tool steel under boundary lubrication conditions. The AISI 4340 steel was heat treated to obtain different microstructures and hardness levels. The results indicated that the wear behavior depends on the heat treatment procedure. It was found that hardness alone cannot be used as a measure of wear and that the microstructure and other mechanical properties should also be used. Chemical reaction products containing phosphorus, sulfur and zinc were found on the wear surfaces lubricated with a fully formulated light oil containing zinc dithiophosphates. The chemically reacted film was nonuniform and consisted of patches 1–1500 μm in size. The larger patches were formed on the surface of steel with a pearlite-ferrite microstructure and resulted in a high wear rate. In contrast, the small patches and the thin blue and brown films were formed on the wear surface of tempered martensite steel and produced low wear rates.     

Influence of temperature on the fretting response between AISI 301 stainless steel and AISI 52100 steel

Fretting of AISI 301 stainless steel sheet in contact with AISI 52100 steel from 20 °C to 550 °C in air and argon has been studied. Transitions in the mechanical properties of 301SS and oxidative behavior of this pair have been identified as a function of temperature. Strength and ductility of 301SS is reduced from 20 °C to 250 °C, increasing susceptibility to fretting damage. Steady state friction decreases as temperature increases, reducing cyclic stresses. Wear resistance increases in this temperature range, increasing fatigue damage due to the increase in fatigue life associated with increased wear. This study aims to identify the causes of the transitions in behavior and determine the net outcome of the competing effects with regard to fatigue damage.