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Electrochemistry-informed electrochemical machining (ECM) and microstructure-determined flattening mechanism of Inconel 738 superalloy

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Abstract

For nickel (Ni) superalloys, including Inconel 738, electrochemical machining (ECM) is commonly used. However, the mechanisms behind ECM surface flattening and improved surface quality have not been fully elucidated, and the relationship between corrosion and ECM is weakly established without microstructural correlation. To bridge this knowledge gap, we have systematically investigated the electrochemical dissolution behavior of wrought Inconel 738 superalloy in the selected NaNO3 solution and narrowed down the optimal ECM parameters (i.e., 12 V, 0.8 mm/min, and 0.8 MPa). The results show that the precipitates and secondary phases of the Inconel 738 superalloy dominate the final surface quality and the ECM efficiency. Importantly, we have confirmed that a core–shell precipitate phase with shell-layer Ti and Mo enrichment remains on the surface even after the 12 V ECM, limiting the final roughness. This novel finding clarifies why the morphology differs under two representative conditions (i.e., anodic dissolution at 1.3 V, 1500 s and optimal ECM with 12 V, 0.8 mm/min, and 0.8 MPa), and how the core–shell precipitates evolve during the non-equilibrium 12-V ECM condition leads to a totally different flattening process. This ECM analysis method, with solid electrochemical theory and detailed microstructural investigation, reveals the microstructure-dependent ECM flattening mechanisms at precipitate scale and demonstrates how the microstructures influence the ECM processing quality. This novel finding plays a guiding role in improving the quality of ECM processing, shows great value for various industrial applications, and helps strategically break the current surface roughness limit.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2021YFF0501700) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2022JC017). The authors thank Shandong Institute of Mechanical Design and Research and the technical support of Shandong University Testing.

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Author notes

  1. Yuhan **ng and Yingyue Yin contributed equally to this study.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, Ministry of Education of China, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, **an, 250061, China

    Yuhan **ng, Shuo Zang, Jianhua Zhang & **aoming Yue

  2. School of Mechanical Engineering, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, Shandong University, **an, 250061, China

    Yuhan **ng, Shuo Zang, Jianhua Zhang & **aoming Yue

  3. Shandong Institute of Mechanical Design and Research, **an, 250031, China

    Yingyue Yin

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), **an, 250353, China

    Yingyue Yin

  5. Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, **an, 250012, China

    Yingyue Yin, Fulan Wei & **aoni Ma

  6. Lab of Advanced Manufacturing (LoAM), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 841142, USA

    Shuaihang Pan

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  1. Yuhan **ng
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Contributions

Yuhan **ng: writing—original draft, investigation, data curation, and writing—review and editing. Yingyue Yin: conceptualization, methodology, investigation, data curation, and writing—review and editing. Fulan Wei: resources, and writing—review and editing. **aoni Ma: writing—review and editing. Shuo Zang: investigation. Jianhua Zhang: supervision, conceptualization, methodology, investigation, formal analysis, and writing—review and editing. Shuaihang Pan: supervision, conceptualization, methodology, investigation, visualization, and writing—review and editing. **aoming Yue: supervision, project administration, and resources.

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Correspondence to Jianhua Zhang, Shuaihang Pan or **aoming Yue.

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**ng, Y., Yin, Y., Wei, F. et al. Electrochemistry-informed electrochemical machining (ECM) and microstructure-determined flattening mechanism of Inconel 738 superalloy. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 133, 791–809 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-024-13758-7

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