Influence of alumina abrasive tool wear on ground surface characteristics and corrosion properties of K444 nickel-based superalloy

K444 nickel-based superalloy is an important material to manufacture the gas turbine due to its excellent mechanical properties at high temperatures and corrosion resistance. Currently, grinding is the mostly used method for the surface finish of the K444 alloy components. However, few studies worked on the effects of the abrasive tool wear on the ground surface characteristics and corrosion properties of K444 alloy. This study uses two different-type alumina abrasive tools, i.e., white alumina (WA) and microcrystalline alumina (MA) wheels, to grind the K444 alloy. The influence of the alumina abrasive tool wear on ground surface characteristics and corrosion resistance performance are investigated. It is discovered that the MA wheel presents a slighter wheel wear and higher self-sharpening than the WA wheel. Compared to the WA wheel, the MA wheel has less material adhesion, which leads to a better surface finish. In the corrosion testing, the maximum corrosion depth is 80 μm in the surface ground by the MA wheel but 100 μm in the surface ground by the WA wheel, which demonstrates that the MA wheel grinding benefits the surface corrosion resistance of K444 alloy. Therefore, this study could provide a guide to selecting the abrasive tools and optimizing the grinding process of the K444 alloy.