Experimental and statistical analysis of optimized ball burnishing parameters to enhance surface integrity and corrosion resistance of AISI 1045 steel

Burnishing is an essential super finishing technique used in the manufacturing sector, which involves applying a highly polished and hardened deforming element to the final product to cause plastic deformation, called a burnishing tool. In this study, the effects of ball burnishing parameters such as penetration depth, feed rate, speed, and number of passes are considered to minimize surface roughness and maximize surface micro hardness and corrosion resistance. After burnishing, the surface micro hardness increased from 385 to 495 HV, while the surface roughness reduced from 4.21 to 0.30 µm. The optimization results indicated that after burnishing, the surface roughness was improved by 92.87%, the surface micro hardness was enhanced by approximately 28.57%, and the specific wear rate was reduced by 34%. The Taguchi optimization revealed that the burnishing penetration depth and speed are significant factors for decreasing the surface roughness, while speed and penetration depth are essential for maximizing surface micro hardness, and speed and penetration depth are significant factors for reducing the specific wear rate. In comparison with the unburnished surface, the refining of grains during the burnishing process improves the corrosion resistance. The corrosion current density reaches its lowest value of 1.236 µA/cm 2 , which is an order of magnitude lower than that of the original sample. The corrosion rate of the burnished sample is reduced by approximately 70.62%.