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The initial characteristics of the surface layer following the quenching and tempering treatment of ultra-high-strength steel play a significant role in determining the subsequent precision machining. This study focus on investigating the influence of machining processes on the quenching and tempering surface layer. The machining processes affect both the oxidation of the quenching and tempering treatment and the development of a distinct preferred grain orientation. Gradual diminishment of surface abrasions leads to the transformation of the needle-like oxidation pattern into a layered oxidation structure. The preferred orientation of the grains prevents the grains from shear sliding, thereby enhancing the Taylor effect. Formation mechanisms of the microhardness and residual stress of the quenching and tempering surface layer induced by machining processes were also discussed and completely revealed. The microhardness is mainly attributed to the dynamic Hall-Petch effect, while plastic strain, dislocation energy storage, and phase transformation contribute to the residual stress changes. • Formation mechanisms of the quenching and tempering surface layer induced by machining processes were revealed. • Machined surface morphology affects preferred grain orientation preference and austenitization characteristics. • Microhardness of the surface layer induced by machining processes is mainly attributed to the dynamic Hall-Petch effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To further understand the effects of LSP on large components of high strength steel and provide improved solutions, this paper conducts research on effects of surface integrity on fatigue life in the LSP process with absorbent coating (LSPC), without absorbent coating (LSPN), without absorbent coating but with axial polishing (LSPP) respectively. The research also put a baseline specimens (BSL) before LSP for a comparison. Results show that average fatigue life in the LSPN process is 47.8% shorter than that of baseline specimens, and crack site area presents an obvious splitting-like tearing step. In the LSPC process, fatigue life is 31.7% longer than that of baseline specimens, and crack initiation site develops from surface to subsurface. In the LSPP process, the specimens show the longest fatigue life of 2.53 × 105cycles, with multiple fine microcracks developing simultaneously. Axial polishing removes ablative layer and tensile residual stress in the LSPN process and reduces dislocation pile-ups and refines grains in the LSPC process, resulting in a surface roughness of R a 0.61 μm, surface residual stress of −531MPa and microhardness of 405HV 0.025.Thus, the fatigue performances were found to be significantly affected by multiple surface integrity indicators induced by different LSP processes. In this paper, the effect of LSP on surface integrity on the subface and its influence on crack initiation and propagation have also been discussed, the crack initiation mechanisms in different processes were explained by using Murakami's K max equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]