Effect of surface working on the fatigue strength and wear of a hardened 13% Cr stainless steel

Abstract The effect of surface working (grinding, lapping, barrel finishing) on the fatigue strength and wear of a hardened and tempered 13% Cr stainless steel used for compressor valves was investigated. Surface roughness, hardness, residual stress and the microstructure induced by surface working at the surface and in the surface layers were examined. The results obtained for the fatigue strength and wear are discussed in terms of these variables. It was found that the fatigue strength for lapping was similar to that for grinding whereas wear by lapping was less by a factor of about 10 than the wear by grinding. The major cause of the reduction in wear was the embedment of the harder abrasive particles in the lapped surface.