Nitriding of Stainless Steel in Electron-Beam Plasma in the Pulsed and DC Generation Modes

Abstract

The influence of electron-beam parameters on the thickness and phase composition of a hardened layer formed upon the nitriding of austenitic stainless steel 12Cr18Ni10Ti in plasma produced by a beam in a low-pressure (3 Pa) nitrogen-argon mixture is studied. The results obtained in the DC and pulse-periodic modes of beam generation with the same mean current and electron energy are compared. In this case the negative bias voltage applied to the samples is 100 V. The nitriding temperature of 400°C is maintained at a mean beam current of 2.6 A and various combinations of frequency (100–500 Hz) and current pulse durations (0.1–0.3 ms) with an amplitude of 80 A. The mean ion-plasma current densities in the DC and pulsed modes are close in magnitude (2–3 mA/cm2 at 400°C). The high pulsed ion-current density (35–70 mA/cm2) creates conditions under which the surface sputtering rate during the pulse exceeds the growth rate of the nitrided layer. The nitriding of steel in the pulsed and DC modes over four hours gives the same result. Hardened layers with a thickness of 7–8 μm and a microhardness of the surface component of 15 ± 1 GPa in which the main phase is a supersaturated nitrogen solid solution (expanded austenite) are formed. A possible explanation is that nitriding in an electron-beam plasma proceeds mainly under the action of long-lived active neutral nitrogen particles rather than as a result of ion bombardment.