Mechanical properties of friction induced nanocrystalline pearlitic steel

Abstract Nanocrystalline variants of commercially available alloys have shown the potential of boosting the mechanical properties retaining a feasible supply chain. One approach to achieve these nanostructures reside in frictional treatments on parts, leading to differential refinement in surface and bulk. In this work the machining method is considered as a testing platform to study frictional nanostructured steel, which assembly is stabilized by fast cooling at the chip. The analysis of the mechanical properties has shown extraordinary results at the surface, over 2000 MPa of strength on AISI1045 steel, more than three times the strength of the base material, demonstrating at the same time a reduction of 15% in the elastic modulus. The microscopic analysis suggests a reassembly of the elements in a new lattice of carbon supersaturated nano-ferrite.