Drag finishing is one of the mass finishing processes that enhances surface roughness on complex and rough parts produced by additive manufacturing. This paper proposes a model to simulate abrasive media flowing around the part at a macroscopic scale based on an original rheological model inspired by civil engineering techniques. The correlation between the evolution of the surface roughness and numerical results reveals the high sensitivity of the process to media’s rheological behaviour and the surface orientation of the surface regarding media flow. This model provides a better understanding of the physical mechanisms (chip formation or plastic deformation) induced at the surface during polishing, and it helps choosing the optimal finishing conditions.

Drag finishing is a widely used superfinishing technique in the industry to polish parts under the action of abrasive media combined with an active surrounding liquid. However, the understanding of this process is not complete. It is known that pyramidal abrasive media are more prone to rapidly improving the surface roughness compared to spherical ones. Thus, this paper aims to model how the shape of abrasive media (spherical vs. pyramidal) influences the material removal mechanisms at the interface. An Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian model of drag finishing is proposed with the purpose of estimating the mechanical loadings (normal stress, shear stress) induced by both abrasive media at the interface. The rheological behavior of both abrasive slurries (media and liquid) has been characterized by means of a Casagrande direct shear test. In parallel, experimental drag finishing tests were carried out with both media to quantify the drag forces. The correlation between the numerical and experimental drag forces highlights that the abrasive media with a pyramidal shape exhibits a higher shear resistance, and this is responsible for inducing higher mechanical loadings on the surfaces and, through this, for a faster decrease of the surface roughness.

Drag finishing is one of the mass finishing processes that enhances surface roughness on complex parts due to the mechanical action of abrasive media. Due to the complexity of the process, industrial practice is based on experience. This paper proposes a model simulating abrasive media flowing around a part during a drag finishing operation at a macroscopic scale. The 2D model is based on an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) formulation that provides relevant mechanical parameters such as the distribution of stresses (normal and shear stresses) and sliding velocities between abrasive media and the surface to be polished. Abrasive media are modelled as a continuous material with a Drucker-Prager plastic constitutive equation. This last has been calibrated as a result of triaxial testing, commonly used to characterise soils in civil engineering. Two abrasive media (spherical and pyramidal shape) having the same composition were characterised. Pyramidal media exhibit significantly higher rheological behaviour compared to spherical one. The model is shown to be very sensitive to the media's rheological behaviour but also to the immersion depth. Pyramidal media leads to much higher normal and shear stresses, which are even higher at deeper immersion depths. Drag finishing experimental tests were carried out to evaluate the efficiency of the model. The correlation between experimental drag finishing tests and numerical test results reveals the physical mechanisms at the interface between media and the surface. Spherical media, with a small/orthogonal orientation impact angle, promotes plastic deformation, while the main mechanisms becomes cutting at higher impact angles. However, pyramidal media promotes cutting irrespective of the orientation angle. Moreover, it was concluded that the optimal mechanical loading combination happens between 30 and 60° for both medias, as the shearing energy reaches its maximum value.

Micro-arc Oxidation (MAO) process is a plasma assisted electrochemical process, which allows formation of ceramic-like dry oxides on top of light alloys surfaces. The good corrosion resistance as well as the low density of titanium alloys are recognized and so required for conception of structural parts in marine environment. However, their tribological behaviour reveals an important tendency to stick-slip phenomenon, which makes use of these alloys for dynamic contact mechanisms difficult. Through the MAO project from IRT M2P, formation of a MAO coating composed of aluminium titanate has been investigated to improve tribological behaviour of a commercially pure titanium (Grade 2) and an α+β alloy (TA6V, Grade 5). Pin-on-disc testing has been carried out to evaluate friction coefficient and the presence or not of stick-slip phenomenon in various contact configurations (involving non-treated titanium surfaces, MAO treated surfaces, with steel or titanium balls …) in dry or artificial seawater media. Those test campaigns are completed by evaluation of fatigue behaviour, and tribological testing on a demonstrator. Finally, this study highlights influence of MAO coating on diminishing (to removed) stick-slip phenomenon, accompanied by a reduction of friction coefficient, whatever the kind of contact (single treated surface or both ones) and the medium.

Different kinetics of hydrogen absorption in T40 (grade 2) and TA6V ELI (grade 23) under cathodic polarization in artificial seawater have been highlighted. These polarizations were made by applying potentials from -0.8 to -1.8V/SCE in artificial seawater and NaCl solution. Four stages were identified and related in term of hydrogen ingress, hydrides formation and calcareous deposit growth. The formation of γ and δ-hydrides have been observed, localized and characterized using several techniques. On T40, hydrides form as a layer that increases the surface roughness and clusters form in the bulk after first moments of hydrogen absorption. Whereas in TA6V ELI, hydrogen is absorbed by β-phase leading to a volume expansion of this phase. Then after reaching the hydrogen solubility limit of β-phase, hydrides form on interfaces α/β or α/α and in α grains. For long durations, the hydrogen ingress is limited by the subsurface hydrides and the stabilized calcareous deposit. These different steps are time depend on processes which need to be tacked into account to improve knowledge of hydrogen embrittlement in titanium alloys.

The effect of hydrogen charging by cathodic polarization on T40 (grade 2) and TA6V ELI (grade 23) in artificial seawater appeared to be dependent on the metallurgical structure of the alloys. Mechanical tensile tests were performed on smooth samples and with different notches without and with hydrogen charging. Evolution of the fracture mode has been studied and the impact of hydrides was questioned. FEM calculation offers the opportunity to associate the local hydrostatic stress σm and equivalent plastic strain εpeq leading to the fracture and to illustrate the evolution of these conditions with hydrogen absorption and hydrides formation. Hydrogen charged by cathodic polarization appeared to have a small impact on grade 2 reducing its A%, whereas it leads to a strong embrittlement of grade 23 when the solubility limit of β-phase is exceeded and hydrides formed.