The modification of corrosion resistance of 17-4PH stainless steel by cutting process

Abstract

It is well-known that taking high-speed dry cutting as the final process of manufacture is a new kind of green manufacturing technology. However, the service performance of the machined components must be evaluated before applying this new technique to industry widely. As a kind of precipitation hardening stainless steel, the corrosion resistance is an important factor in the application of 17-4PH stainless steel. In this work, after confirming the internal association between the surface integrity characteristics and the corrosion resistance, the effects of cutting parameters on the surface integrity and corrosion resistance were revealed. It was found that the thicker oxide film, induced by the plastic deformation and high cutting temperature, on the machined surfaces was beneficial to the corrosion resistance, while the rough machined surface could destroy the corrosion resistance. Both of the cutting speed and the feed rate could affect the corrosion resistance by changing the surface integrity. Although the rough surface showed an adverse impact, the face-milled surfaces may show more excellent corrosion resistance than the polished ones by optimizing the cutting parameters.