Abstract

To modify the surface structure of AISI 1005 steel and its properties without any dimensional loss, different plasma surface treatments were performed at low temperatures (500 oC) in this study. The samples were subjected to single plasma treatments including: nitriding (N5% and N3%), carburizing (CE) and ferritic nitrocarburizing (NC) and to duplex treatments of nitriding followed by carburizing (N5%+CE and N3%+CE) and ferritic nitrocarburizing followed by carburizing (NC+CE). The gas mixture used for these treatments was varied as follows: nitriding (5%N2+95%H2 and 3%N2+97%H2), carburizing (5%CH4+95%H2) and ferritic nitrocarburizing (5%N2+1.5%CH4+93.5%H2). A microstructural characterization of the samples was carried out using optical and scanning electron microscopy in addition to XRD analysis. Microhardness testing was also performed. The XRD analysis showed a stabilization of the outermost cementite layer for all of the carburizing treatments. The results show that a greater hardness increase was achieved for the nitriding treatment as well as a more regular compound layer. However, a greater depth of hardening was obtained in samples with NC+CE and N5%+CE, which extended to the hardened depth to 800 µm.

Highlights

  • In recent decades, there have been constant advancements in the techniques used for surface modifications of materials

  • This work evaluates the layers obtained in AISI 1005 steel for different plasma surface treatments with regards to the structure, microstructure and hardness of the formed layers

  • The XRD analysis of sample N3% is shown in Figure 4 (b)

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Summary

Introduction

There have been constant advancements in the techniques used for surface modifications of materials The importance of such techniques is linked to the fact that modifications of the surface properties enable new applications for materials due to changes in the chemical, physical, mechanical, metallurgical and tribological properties[1,2,3,4,5]. Among these techniques is a plasma surface thermochemical treatment. This work evaluates the layers obtained in AISI 1005 steel for different plasma surface treatments with regards to the structure, microstructure and hardness of the formed layers

Material and Methods
Microstructure and X-ray diffraction
Microhardness
Conclusions
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