The effect of electrolyte current density on the electrochemical machining S-03 material

Selecting an appropriate electrolyte is very important for high-efficiency electrochemical machining novel S-03 special stainless steel aerospace component. A series of experiments were conducted with NaCl, NaNO₃, and their admixture solutions. This research focused on the relationship between current efficiency and current density. The current density effects on surface roughness, machining velocity, and grain boundary corrosion were analyzed. The results showed that: the current efficiency in NaCl electrolyte was 100 % with different concentrations. Under the conditions of 24 V voltage, 30 °C electrolyte, and 0.8 MPa electrolyte pressure, the 10 % NaCl electrolyte can obtain 3.6 mm/min cathode feed speed; the surface roughness is Ra 0.08 μm; and the material removal rate is 411.4 mm³/min. Comparing forward flow to forward flow with added backpressure, we found that: the surface roughness value decreased sharply at 3.6 mm/min in NaCl electrolyte.