Stainless steels are widely used in applications that require the mechanical properties of steels and high corrosion resistance. Grinding induced surface defects may have a large influence on a stainless steel components corrosion behavior, especially the resistance to stress corrosion cracking. This was the focus of Nian Zhou’s thesis, which she recently defended.
From China, researcher Nian Zhou came to Sweden in 2008 to study at KTH. She completed her master’s level thesis at Sandvik Materials Technology, where her focus was on the fatigue properties of stainless steels. Her doctoral work, which she completed in collaboration with Dalarna University, went on to focus on the corrosion properties of stainless steels.
Controlled grinding parameters, including abrasive grit size, machine power and grinding lubricant, were used and the resulting surface properties were studied for austenitic 304L and duplex 2304 stainless steels. Surface defects, a highly deformed surface layer and the generation of high level surface tensile residual stresses along the grinding direction were observed as the main types of damage.
The knowledge obtained from Nian Zhou’s thesis will be able to provide guidance when it comes to the choice of appropriate stainless steel grades and grinding parameters. It may also be used to help understand the failure mechanism of ground stainless steel components during service.
Nian Zhou successfully defended her thesis entitled “Surface integrity and corrosion behavior of stainless steels after grinding operations” on November 23, 2018 at KTH in Stockholm.