Surface Modification of SS2205 Duplex Stainless Steel by Plasma Nitriding at Anodic Potential

Abstract

The duplex stainless steel has better pitting corrosion resistance but lacks of hardness and wear resistance. Therefore, the low temperature nitriding treatment can be used to increase its hardness and wear resistance or to gain more perfect corrosion resistance. The plasma nitriding of SS2205 stainless steel was carried out at temperatures from 693k to 753k for 4 hours at anodic potential. The nitrided samples were analyzed by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, SEM-EDX analysis, microhardness testing, wear and corrosion evaluation. The XRD analysis of all treated samples showed that the nitrogen-expanded austenite phase was formed. Both α and γ phase of the substrate were transformed into γNduring plasma nitriding. Observing the nitrided layers formed on α and γ phase, the ones situated in the austenite were thinner than the ones in the ferrite. This phenomenon was more evident at low temperature, which confirmed that the nitrogen has a higher diffusion rate in the ferrite during plasma nitriding treatment. The surface hardness of nitrided layer was increased with the nitriding temperature. The highest hardness value obtained in this experiment was about 1300 HV0.05which was 4 times as the original sample (380 HV0.05). Furthermore, through the wear and corrosion property tests, it was shown that anodic plasma nitriding improved the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the duplex stainless steel.