Corrosion resistance of a carbon-steel surface modified by three-dimensional ion implantation and electric arc.

Abstract

The hybrid method of three-dimensional ion implantation and electric arc is presented as a novel plasma-ion technique that allows by means of high voltage pulsed and electric arc discharges, the bombardment of non-metallic and metallic ions then implanting upon the surface of a solid surface, especially out of metallic nature. In this study AISI/SAE 4140 samples, a tool type steel broadly used in the industry due to its acceptable physicochemical properties, were metallographically prepared then surface modified by implanting titanium and simultaneously titanium and nitrogen particles during 5 min and 10 min. The effect of the ion implantation technique over the substrate surface was analysed by characterization and electrochemical techniques. From the results, the formation of Ti micro-droplets upon the surface after the implantation treatment were observed by micrographs obtained by scanning electron microscopy. The presence of doping particles on the implanted substrates were detected by elemental analysis. The linear polarization resistance, potentiodynamic polarization and total porosity analysis demonstrated that the samples whose implantation treatment with Ti ions for 10 min, offer a better protection against the corrosion compared with non-implanted substrates and implanted at the different conditions in this study.