White layer formation due to phase transformation in orthogonal machining of AISI 1045 annealed steel

It is commonly believed that the white layer formed during machining of steels is caused primarily by a thermally induced phase transformation resulting from rapid heating and quenching. As a result, it is often assumed that if the temperature at the tool flank–workpiece interface exceeds the nominal phase transformation temperature for the steel, a white layer forms. However, no attempt has been made to actually measure the temperatures produced at the tool flank–workpiece interface and correlate it with microstructural evidence of phase transformation. This paper aims to address these limitations through suitably designed experiments and analysis. Orthogonal machining tests were performed on AISI 1045 annealed steel at different cutting speeds and tool flank wear. During machining, temperature measurements at the tool flank–workpiece interface were made using an exposed thermocouple technique. Metallographic studies of the machined sub-surface and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were performed to determine the presence and depth of white layer, and the presence of the retained austenite phase in the machined surface layer, respectively. Analysis of the data shows that the white layer can form due to phase transformation at temperatures below the nominal austenitization temperature of the steel. Possible causes of this result are presented.