Ion nitriding of austenitic steel articles

Conclusion The ion nitriding schedule developed for austenitic steel articles makes it possible to reduce the duration of the process by more than a factor of five, the layer thickness increases by a factor of three, and wear resistance of the layer increases by a factor of two compared with similar parameters after normal nitriding. In addition, there is a reduction in labor content, and production and the ecological situation are improved.N. É. Bauman MGTU. Translated from Metallovedenie i Termicheskaya Obrabotka Metallov, No. 1, pp. 9–10, January, 1991.     

Boronizing and borochromizing in a vibrofluidized bed

The process of boronizing and borochromizing in a vibrofluidized bed is considered. It is shown that use of a vibrofluidized bed makes it possible to intensify considerably the processes of surface impregnation. Boronizing and borochromizing of high-alloy martensite and maraging steels are studied with the aim of increasing the wear resistance of the surface and obtaining a heat-resistant matrix. Translated from Metallovedenie i Termicheskaya Obrabotka Metallov, No. 11, pp. 3–6, November, 1999.     

离子溅射在奥氏体不锈钢离子渗氮中的应用

利用自制的直流脉冲离子渗氮设备采用加强离子溅射预处理方法对奥氏体不锈钢进行了离子渗氮,并与普通的离子渗氮方法进行对比.结果表明,通过加强溅射的方法得到的试样表面硬度在1 200 HV0.5以上,耐磨性能提高了4～5倍,硬度梯度变得更为平缓.     

304奥氏体不锈钢低温盐浴渗氮处理

采用430℃低温盐浴对304奥氏体不锈钢进行渗氮处理,研究了渗氮时间对渗氮层组织和性能的影响。利用XRD衍射仪、光学显微镜、表面显微硬度计和带能谱仪(EDS)的扫描电镜(SEM)分别分析渗氮层的相组成、厚度、表面硬度和显微组织。结果表明:304奥氏体不锈钢在430℃渗氮不同时间后,渗氮层厚度和表面硬度都随着时间的延长而增加。渗氮时间为1 h时,渗氮层仅为单一的S相,随着渗氮时间的增加,渗氮8 h时开始有少量CrN生成,渗氮16 h时,渗氮层由大量CrN+S相两相混合。用电化学极化的方法评价耐蚀性能的结果表明:盐浴渗氮处理后耐Cl-点蚀性能得到了一定的改善,在430℃渗氮4 h,其耐蚀性能是最好的,优于没经过渗氮的试样,而在所有的渗氮试样中,渗氮8 h、16 h的试样耐点蚀性能较差。     

On the mechanism of ion nitriding of an austenitic stainless steel

The mechanism of nitrogen transport has been investigated in an austenitic stainless steel (AISI 304) under high flux and low energy nitrogen ion beam irradiation at moderate temperatures in the range 270–550°C. The profiles of the distribution of nitrogen have been analyzed with nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) and glow discharge optical spectroscopy (GDOS), and the surface roughness with scanning AFM. The modeling is based on the study of the stochastic mixing of atoms ‘ballistically’ displaced by incident ions. The development of surface roughness and the formation of an altered layer highly enriched by nitrogen are analyzed, and it is concluded that the transport of nitrogen into the bulk results from a flux of matrix atoms driven by mobile vacancies at temperatures above 350°C. This behavior is consistent with an altered layer ‘growth’ that is controlled by the ion-beam-induced displacements of surface atoms.     

Plasma nitriding of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel with pre-shot peening

AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel was plasma nitrided at the temperature ranging from 410 to 520 °C with pre-shot peening. The structural phases, micro-hardness and electrochemical behavior of the nitrided layer were investigated by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, micro-hardness testing and anodic polarization testing. The effects of shot peening on the nitride formation, nitride layer growth and corrosion properties were discussed. The results showed that shot peening enhanced the nitrogen diffusion rate and led to a twice thicker nitrided layer than the un-shot peening samples under the same plasma nitriding conditions (410 °C, 4 h). The nitrided layer was composed of single nitrogen expanded austenite (S-phase) when nitriding below 480 °C, which had combined improvement in hardness and corrosion resistance.     

304不锈钢低温离子渗氮和氮碳共渗工艺

在430 ℃对AISI304奥氏体不锈钢分别进行离子渗氮(PN)、离子氮碳共渗(PNC)和离子氮碳共渗加离子渗氮(PNC+PN)处理.利用金相显微镜、辉光放电光谱仪、X射线衍射仪和显微硬度计测试了试样渗层的横断面形貌、渗层成分、相组成和力学性能.结果表明,AISI304奥氏体不锈钢在430 ℃进行硬化处理时,相对于PN处理,经PNC和PNC+PN处理可以获得更高硬度、更厚渗层,但表面耐腐蚀性下降,3种处理得到的渗层中C和N的最大含量分别出现在不同深度.     

温度对AISI304奥氏体不锈钢离子渗氮的影响

对AISI304奥氏体不锈钢进行脉冲电流辉光离子渗氮处理,在不同处理温度(480 ℃、520 ℃、580 ℃)下渗氮8 h后,获得了一定厚度的渗氮层.通过对渗层进行金相分析和硬度测试表明,随着渗氮温度升高,渗层厚度增大,显微硬度先增大后减小.综合温度对渗层厚度与显微硬度的影响,AISI304奥氏体不锈钢卡套辉光离子渗氮温度可采用520 ℃,渗氮后渗层厚度为90 μm,显微硬度为1317 HV0.1.     

Surface modification of austenitic stainless steel with plasma nitriding for biomedical applications

In the present study, plasma nitriding of AISI type 303 austenitic stainless steel (SS) specimens was performed using a microwave system. The nitrided layers were characterized by performing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and a Vickers microhardness test. The antibacterial activities of the nitrided layers were evaluated. XRD and TEM showed that a single γ_N phase was formed by plasma nitriding at the plasma power of 700 W and 450 °C. The analytical results demonstrated that the hardness of type 303 specimens could be enhanced by plasma nitriding because of the formation of the γ_N phase. A bacterial test also demonstrated that the nitrided layer exhibited excellent antibacterial properties.     

Influence of plasma nitriding on hydrogen environment embrittlement of 1.4301 austenitic stainless steel

The aim of this work was to study if hydrogen environment embrittlement of DIN 1.4301 austenitic stainless steel can be suppressed by a nitrided surface. DIN 1.4301 was plasma nitrided in a N₂/H₂ discharge. Nitriding produced 3-layered structure consisting of a γ_N top layer, an intermediate γ/γ_C-layer and a diffusion layer. It is assumed that the γ_C phase was formed due to the decomposition of CO originating from the reactor walls and the subsequent incorporation of C into the material. The γ_C phase is characterized by distinct XRD peaks and carbon contents between 0.5 and 4 wt.% as well as nitrogen contents between 0.5 and 8 wt.%. Plastic deformation of the plasma nitrided specimen showed cracks and some delamination of the γ_N layer, whereas the γ/γ_C-layer behaved in a very ductile manner. Even at a plastic deformation of 35% no cracks or any other damage was visible. A tensile test in gaseous hydrogen showed severe embrittlement of the unnitrided steel and the nitrided steel with a γ_N layer. No cracks were observed in areas where just the γ/γ_C-layer was present.     

Patterning of magnetic structures on austenitic stainless steel by local ion beam nitriding

Periodic arrays of ferromagnetic structures with micrometer and submicrometer lateral sizes have been prepared at the surface of a paramagnetic austenitic stainless steel by means of ion beam nitriding through different types of shadow masks (such as transmission electron microscopy grids or self-assembled porous alumina membranes). This method takes advantage of the formation of the ferromagnetic supersaturated nitrogen solid solution γ_N phase (i.e., expanded austenite) upon nitriding at moderate temperatures. The local character of the induced ferromagnetism is confirmed by magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements together with magnetic force microscopy imaging. Furthermore, the influence of the nitriding temperature and time on the induced ferromagnetic and structural properties has been analyzed.     

Modeling of nitrogen penetration in polycrystalline AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel during plasma nitriding

The nitrogen depth profile in polycrystalline AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel after plasma nitriding at temperatures around 400 °C is analyzed by the “trapping-detrapping” model. This model considers the diffusion of nitrogen under the influence of trap sites formed by local chromium atoms. Nitrogen depth profiles in polycrystalline AISI 316L steel simulated on the basis of this model are in good agreement with experimental nitrogen profiles. The enhanced nitrogen diffusivity as well as a plateau-type shape of nitrogen depth profile can be explained. The nitrogen diffusion coefficient at 400 °C is found to be D = 4.81 × 10⁻¹² cm²/s and the diffusion pre-exponential factor D₀ (0.837 × 10⁻³ cm²/s) and detrapping activation energy E_B (0.28 eV) were deduced from fitting experimental data. It is known that the nitrogen penetration depth (and nitrogen diffusivity) depends on the crystalline orientation and a tentative to take into account this anisotropy effect and describe nitrogen depth profiles in polycrystalline AISI 316L steel is proposed by using different diffusion coefficients characteristic for each crystallite orientation.     

Low temperature nitriding,nitrocarburising and carburising of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel

Abstract

AISI 316L grade ASTM F138 austenitic stainless steel specimens were low temperature plasma nitrided (LTPN), nitrocarburised (LTPNC) and carburised (LTPC) using different gas mixtures. Different expanded austenite layers formed after each thermochemical treatment. LTPN and LTPCN led to formation of nitrogen supersaturated expanded austenite (γ_N). After LTPN, a second carbon expanded austenite (γ_C) layer was formed beneath the nitrogen expanded austenite layer (γ_N). LTPC led to formation of a carbon supersaturated expanded austenite (γ_C). Scanning electron microscopy, XRD and microhardness were used to characterise the expanded austenite layers formed on the surface of the specimens. Different mechanisms of formation and growth of the layers are pointed out. XRD results show that the lattice parameter of nitrogen expanded austenite (γ_N) is higher than that calculated for carbon expanded austenite γ_C. As a consequence, the lattice expansion Δa/a for the nitrogen rich (γ_N) phase is higher than the one observed for the (γ_C) phase and the nitrogen rich expanded austenite layer displays higher hardness than the carbon rich expanded austenite layer. The LTPNC bilayer displays a less steep hardness gradient, indicating that the carbon rich expanded austenite layer can grant mechanical support to the harder nitrogen rich layer.     

Study of active screen plasma processing conditions for carburising and nitriding austenitic stainless steel

Active screen (AS) is an advanced technology for plasma surface engineering, which offers some advantages over conventional direct current (DC) plasma treatments. Such surface defects and process instabilities as arcing, edge and hollow cathode effects can be minimised or completely eliminated by the AS technique, with consequent improvements in surface quality and material properties. However, the lack of information and thorough understanding of the process mechanisms generate scepticism in industrial practitioners.In this project, AISI 316 specimens were plasma carburised and plasma nitrided at low temperature in AS and DC furnaces, and the treated samples were comparatively analysed. Two diagnostic techniques were used to study the plasma: optical fibre assisted optical emission spectroscopy, and a planar electrostatic probe. Optimum windows of treatment conditions for AS plasma nitriding and AS plasma carburising of austenitic stainless steel were identified and some evidence was obtained on the working principles of AS furnaces. These include the sputtering of material from the cathodic mesh and its deposition on the worktable, the generation of additional active species, and the electrostatic confinement of the plasma within the operative volume of the furnace.     

Influence of time on the microstructure of AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel in salt bath nitriding

Influence of nitriding time on the microstructure and microhardness of AISI 321 austenite stainless steel was investigated, using a complex salt bath heat-treatment at low temperature, 430 °C. Experimental results revealed that after salt bath nitriding, a modified layer was formed on the surface of substrate with the thickness ranging from 2 μm to 30 μm with changing treating time. The nitrided layer depth thickened extensively with increasing nitriding time. The growth of the nitrided layer takes place mainly by nitrogen diffusion according to the expected parabolic rate law. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that in 321 stainless steel subjected to complex salt bathing nitrided at such temperature for less than 8 hours, the main phase of the nitrided layer was expanded austenite (S phase) by large. When the treatment time is prolonged up to 8 hours and more, S phase is formed and subsequently transforms partially into CrN, and then the secondary CrN phase precipitated. With treating time prolonged, more CrN precipitates formed along the grain boundaries in the outer part. In the inside part between the some CrN and the substrate, there is still a broad single S phase layer. All treatments can effectively improve the surface hardness.