Spectroscopic investigations into plasma used for nitriding processes of steel and titanium

Abstract

Spectroscopic studies of nitriding processes in a conventional d.c. glow discharge have been undertaken. The current work has been devoted to processes and reactions in the gas phase. The emission measurements were made for three nitrogen-hydrogen gas mixtures used for nitriding of steel, and for nitrogen plasma used for nitriding of titanium. Stress was placed in the investigation on the spatially varied emissions of different active species in the space between electrodes to obtain information on the species governing the nitriding of steel and titanium. A dependence of the emission spectra on the discharge gas mixture composition and on the nitriding time was examined for steel. Results of studies of plasma-assisted nitriding processes are discussed in this work.