Non-self-sustained low-pressure glow discharge for nitriding steels and alloys

Abstract

Structural steel 40Cr and die steels 8Cr4W2MoVSi2 and Cr12Mo were nitrided in the plasma of a non-self-sustained hollow-cathode glow discharge at a pressure of 1 Pa, negative bias of 300 V, and temperature of 520 °C and 400 °C. The method has been shown promising for low-temperature nitriding of steels to a depth of several tens of micrometers with minimum tempering.