Comparison of Surface Hardening Processes Applied to AISI 5140 Steel withSide Load Test

Abstract

AISI 5140 Tempered steel is generally preferred in the joints of vehicles. This steel is a material with high toughness. Its usage areas are quite wide. The purpose of the surface hardening process is to increase the wear resistance of surfaces exposed to wear, as well as to increase the fatigue life of the part and increase corrosion resistance. Since the inner parts of the parts are not affected by surface hardening, the resistance to impacts increases and therefore the formation of cracks on the surface is delayed. Surface hardening processes delay the formation of cracks on the surface and extend fatigue life. In this study, a comparison was made between a part with induction surface hardening, which is one of the methods in which the chemical composition of the surface is not changed, a part with nitration, which is one of the methods in which the chemical composition is not changed, and a part with standard reclamation heat treatment. Side Load test, a static testing method, was used for this comparison. In the Side Load test, the samples were compressed from the conical region and a vertical load was applied corresponding to the center of the joint. According to the results obtained in the tests, the sample with Induction surface hardening process withstood 64500 N, the sample with Nitriding heat treatment withstood 54500 N and the sample with Standard tempering heat treatment withstood 50200 N. According to the results obtained, the sample with the highest durability rate is the sample whose surface was hardened by induction.