Nanometric Cutting Mechanism of Cerium–Lanthanum Alloy

Abstract Cerium–lanthanum alloy is widely used in the green energy industry, and the nanoscale smooth surface of this material is in demand. Nanometric cutting is an effective approach to achieving the ultra-precision machining surface. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is usually used to reveal the atomic-scale details of the material removal mechanism in nanometric cutting. In this study, the effects of cutting speed and undeformed chip thickness (UCT) on cutting force and subsurface deformation of the cerium–lanthanum alloy during nanometric cutting are analyzed through MD simulation. The results illustrate that the dislocations, stacking faults, and phase transitions occur in the subsurface during cutting. The dislocations are mainly Shockley partial dislocation, and the increase of temperature and pressure during the cutting process leads to the phase transformation of γ-Ce (FCC) into β-Ce (HCP) and δ-Ce (BCC). β-Ce is mainly distributed in the stacking fault area, while δ-Ce is distributed in the boundary area between the dislocation atoms and γ-Ce atoms. The cutting speed and UCT affect the distribution of subsurface damage. A thicker deformed layer including dislocations, stacking faults and phase-transformation atoms on the machined surface is generated with the increase in the cutting speed and UCT. Simultaneously, the cutting speed and UCT significantly affect the cutting force, material removal rate, and generated subsurface state. The fluctuations in the cutting force are related to the generation and disappearance of dislocations. This research first studied the nanometric cutting mechanism of the cerium–lanthanum ally, providing a theoretical basis for the development of ultra-precision machining techniques of these materials.