Mössbauer effect study of nitrogen-implanted iron foils

⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer conversion electron scattering was used to establish that nitrides are formed when iron foils are implanted with nitrogen ions at doses above 10¹⁷ ions cm^?2. The formation of nitrides may be linked to the maximum reduction in wear rate which occurs for nitrogen-implanted steel surfaces at about this dose. The stability of the nitrides produced was studied as a function of annealing temperature.