Interactions between Surface Integrity Parameters on AISI 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel Components by Ultrasonic Impact Treatment

Surface modification processes are enabling a high performance manufacturing by improving surface integrity with controllable surface integrity parameters, particularly for high performance components demanding a combination of functional properties, such as wear, corrosion and/or anti-fatigue properties etc. Ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT) is known as a promising surface modification process for industrial practice to manufacture components with high anti-fatigue performance, on which a compressive residual stress layer can be introduced up to a typical depth of hundreds micrometers. In this study, combined properties of wear and corrosion resistance for AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel components is primarily concerned and achieved by employing an ultrasonic impact treatment process. Surface integrity of UIT processed AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel components can be effectively improved by controlling the surface integrity parameters including surface features and surface characteristics achievable with respect to the desired functional performance. The wear resistance of UIT processed stainless steel components is notably improved, with a corrosion resistance comparable to that of original ones even though austenite-to-martensite phase transformation is observed. The multiple surface integrity parameters of both surface features and surface characteristics simultaneously achieved by the surface modification, exhibiting strong interactions between them, are responsible for the high performance of components with combined properties.