Abstract
The article is devoted to an innovative method of surface hardening of steels 40KhN2МА and ShKh15 by pulsed plasma flows. The treatment was carried out in a wide range of absorbed energy density from 20 to 100 J/cm2, with a plasma exposure duration of 1 ms. The results of a study of the structure, phase composition and morphology of the modified surface layer, as well as such characteristics as thickness, microhardness, surface roughness, and level of residual stresses are presented. The modified layer of steel contains several structural components with distinctive characteristics. The maximum thickness of the modified hardened layer was 125 µm. The conducted research made it possible to establish optimal treatment modes, characterized by an increase in surface microhardness by 3—4 times, a decrease in roughness by up to 35 % and the presence of compressive residual stresses, which opens up prospects for the development of highly effective technology for strengthening critical products.
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