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Abstract

Four free-machining steels were fabricated by varying volume fractions of MnS and soft metal additives of Pb and Bi, and their microstructures, tensile properties, chip-forming properties, and dynamic torsional properties were analyzed. Machining and dynamic torsional tests were conducted on the four steels to investigate chip-forming and dynamic torsional properties, respectively. In the Pb-S- and Bi-S-based steels, the chip thickness and ridge area of the 1st chip obtained from the machining test were smaller than in the S-based steels and were not changed much after repeated machining processes. These chip-forming properties were closely related with dynamic torsional properties. Dynamic maximum shear strains of the Pb-S- and Bi-S-based steels were higher than those of the S-based steels, while dynamic maximum shear stresses were lower, thereby leading to the relatively homogeneous dynamic shear deformation and to the better chip-forming properties and machinability. © 2013 The Minerals, Metals amp; Materials Society and ASM International.