Abstract
This paper describes an experimental investigation of the effects of alloying, carbon content, and heat treatment on white layer formation in machining of steels. The investigation is carried out by machining steels that differ in alloying, heat treatment and carbon content, via orthogonal cutting tests performed with low cBN content tools. The depth of white layer and its hardness are measured for every case. Specifically, the thickness and hardness of white layer produced in cutting AISI 1045 and AISI 4340 annealed steels are compared to determine the effect of alloying on white layer formation. The effect of heat treatment on white layer formation and its hardness are investigated by machining annealed and hardened (53 HRC) AISI 4340 steels. The effect of carbon content on white layer formation is investigated by cutting hardened AISI 52100 and AISI 4340 steels of the same hardness (53 HRC). The results of the study show that alloying, heat treatment, and carbon content influence white layer formation and its hardness.