Heat treatment of nitrided layer formed on X37CrMoV5-1 hot working tool steel

Abstract

The paper presents the technology consisting of combination of the nitriding process with subsequent austenitizing at temperature above eutectoid temperature of the Fe-C system and further rapid cooling. Such treatment will cause formation of the martensite in the area of the primarily nitrided layer and the additional precipitation hardening by tempering of heat treated steel. The article shows that the heat treatment process of nitrided layer formed on X37CrMoV5-1 steel leads to strengthening of surface layer, the substrate and the core of nitrided part. Heat treatment of nitrided steel with the tempering in inert (nitrogen) or active (ammonia) atmosphere can increase the thickness of the layer formed by short-term nitriding process. After the nitriding process of X37CrMoV5-1 steel the nitrided layer had a thickness of about 160 μm, while a subsurface layer of iron nitrides had a thickness of 7 μm. After subsequent quenching and tempering processes, the nitrided layer undergoes additional diffusion and its thickness is increased to about 220 μm (inert atmosphere) or 280 μm (active atmosphere). If the tempering process is carried out in an inert atmosphere, the primarily formed layer of iron nitrides disappears. Tempering in an active atmosphere leads to forming of white layer with a thickness of 7 μm. Basic properties of nitrided layers formed in such way, like the hardness and the wear resistance, are presented.