Investigation of the plastic deformation mechanism of polycrystalline M50 aviation bearing steel during electrolytic in-process dressing scratching using molecular dynamics simulation

X Huang and HC Wu and JX Wu and B Ji and G Cao and L Nie, TRIBOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, 211, 110841 (2025).

DOI: 10.1016/j.triboint.2025.110841

Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to investigate the microscopic deformation mechanisms of polycrystalline M50 steel during electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID) scratching. Mechanical responses, dislocation evolution, material removal behaviors, and subsurface damage were compared between ELID and conventional scratching (CS). Results indicate that the passivation film formed in ELID reduces scratching forces by decreasing the direct abrasive-workpiece contact area, thereby alleviating abrasive wear, enhancing uniformity in dislocation distribution, and mitigating local structural disorder. During scratching, dislocations nucleate and propagate into grains once the von Mises stress at grain boundaries reaches a critical value, predominantly involving 1/2 < 111 > slip. Common neighbor analysis (CNA) and centrosymmetry parameter (CSP) results confirm that ELID scratching facilitates controllable plastic deformation, significantly improving machined surface quality.

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