Thermal effect on oxidation layer evolution and phase transformation in grinding of Fe-Ni super alloy

[Display omitted] •Higher thermal effect could cause a worse subsurface damage layer and higher Oxygen proportion.•The volume fractions of martensite and austenite increase while that of ferrite decreases with elevated thermal effect.•The thermal damage and phase transformation can be reduced by increasing work speed and decreasing depth of cut. This article is devoted to investigate thermal damage and its influences on phase transformation and surface characteristics in grinding of Fe-Ni super alloy. From the oxidation analysis, it was found that higher thermal effect could cause a worse subsurface damage layer and higher Oxygen proportion. In terms of the phase transformation, the results show that the volume fractions of martensite and austenite increase while that of ferrite decreases with elevated grinding temperature, which lead to an increment of surface hardness. Based on these analyses, the thermal induced phase transformation can be reduced by increasing work speed and decreasing depth of cut.