Microstructure and properties of 17-4PH steel plasma nitrocarburized with a carrier gas containing rare earth elements

The effect of rare earth addition in the carrier gas on plasma nitrocarburizing of 17-4PH steel was studied. The microstructure and crystallographically of the phases in the surface layer as well as surface morphology of the nitrocarburized specimens were characterized by optical microscope, X-ray diffraction and scanning tunneling microscope, respectively. The hardness of the surface layer was measured by using a Vickers hardness test. The results show that the incorporation of rare earth elements in the carrier gas can increase the nitrocarburized layer thickness up to 55%, change the phase proportion in the nitrocarburized layer, refine the nitrides in surface layer, and increase the layer hardness above 100HV. The higher surface hardening effect after rare earth addition is caused by improvement in microstructure and change in the phase proportion of the nitrocarburized layer.