Enhanced Wear Resistance of 316 L Stainless Steel with a Nanostructured Surface Layer Prepared by Ultrasonic Surface Rolling

Abstract

The low hardness and poor wear resistance of AISI 316 L austenitic stainless-steel sabotage its outer appearance and shorten its service life when it is subjected to sliding. In this paper, the single-pass ultrasonic surface rolling (USR) process was used to modify the surface of 316 L austenitic stainless steel. A nanostructured surface layer with a depth span of 15 μm was fabricated. Dry wear tests of USR samples were performed on a ring-on-block tester at room temperature, and the results were compared with those for the as-received sample. The USR sample showed a significant reduction in wear mass loss and an improved hardness, as well as a decreased surface roughness. The detailed wear mechanism was also investigated by SEM observations of the worn surfaces. It was indicated that oxidation and abrasive wear, accompanied by mild adhesion, dominated the wear of USR 316 L stainless steel at both low and high speeds. The superior wear performance of USR 316 L was attributed to its nanostructured surface layer, which was characterized by a high hardness and thereby suppressed the severe abrasive wear. The results provided an alternative approach to modifying the surface of 316 L stainless steel, without changing its surface chemical components.

Effect of Surface Nanocrystallization on Wear Behavior of Steels: A Review

“…Ultrasonic surface rolling (USR), an ultrasonic-based surface nanocrystallization technique, was applied to 316L stainless steel in a study [51]. This process produced a nanostructured surface layer with a thickness of 15 µm, exhibiting higher hardness than the as-received counterpart.…”

“…However, in the surface-treated alloy, abrasive wear became dominant. Notably, at low sliding speeds, the presence of an oxide film on both the sample and the slider surface heightened the influence of oxidation wear, while at high wear test speeds, direct metal-to-metal contact became the controlling factor in the wear mechanism [51].…”

“…Generally, it has been reported [40,41,[50][51][52]55] that the heightened hardness of surface nanocrystallized ferrous alloy resulting from its surface grain refinement is identified as the primary reason for its superior wear resistance. Additionally, this enhanced surface hardness achieved through SNC has proved beneficial in significantly improving the tribocorrosion resistance of ferrous metallic materials [32,55].…”

Effect of Ultrasonic Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment-Induced Nanograins on the Mechanical Properties and Biocompatibility of Pure Titanium

“…Surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) is an SPD technique in which SNC is achieved at the surface of the bulk material. Recently, several researchers have reported improvement in wear resistance and surface hardness by achieving SNC through SMAT [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. It has been identified that a high grain boundary density promotes a stable passive film.…”

Anti-Fouling Behaviors of a Modified Surface Induced by an Ultrasonic Surface Rolling Process for 304 Stainless Steel

“…A surface modified by an electrical discharge machining method had better anti-fouling performance than a polished surface, which was attributed to an increase in the corrosion resistance and hydrophobicity properties [4]. The USRP is a unique method of mechanical surface treatment that combines ultrasonic impact and static extrusion force [16,17]. It can provide superior surface mechanical properties and surface integrity by decreasing the surface roughness, refining grains, inducing residual compressive stress, and increasing hardness.…”