Stainless steel and other ferrous metals are normally classified as not diamond turnable for the unacceptable tool wear caused by the thermal-chemical reaction between diamond and ferrous metals. In the present research, stainless steel specimens were plasma nitrided at a relatively low temperature ( < 450℃) to prevent the depletion of Cr content at the austenite matrix and to give a hardened layer where Fe atoms are bonded to nitrogen atom to form γ'-Fe_4N. Diamond turning experiments were subsequently carried out under the following machining conditions: single crystal diamond tool, cutting speed up to 180 m/min, cut depth up to 5μm and light mineral oil as the cutting fluid. The results showed that, given the same machining conditions, while rapid tool wear and poor surface finish were obtained when turning the as-received stainless steel, surfaces with Ra better than 3nm and no obvious tool wear were achieved when turning the plasma nitrided specimens
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