Boride Layer Research Articles

Structure and properties of the boride layer of steel using the plasma alloying method

Boration is one of the promising methods for increasing surface hardness and wear resistance, resistance to oxidation and corrosion of mechanical engineering parts. The diffusion saturation process is characterized by a long duration, as well as a shallow depth of the hardened layer. The use of concentrated heating sources can solve these problems. Among the methods of high-energy exposure, the technology of plasma surface alloying should be highlighted. In this paper, the study of the microstructure and properties of the boride layer obtained on steel by plasma alloying is carried out. It is noted that the boron-doped layer has a heterogeneous structure and high hardness. It is noted that the layer obtained after alloying with a current of 120 A has the highest microhardness value and amounts to 859–1265 HV. With an increase in current to 140 A, the microhardness of the alloyed layer decreases and amounts to 761–1048 HV. Increasing the current to 160 A leads to a significant decrease in the microhardness of the surface layer and it is 452–747 HV. It is known that the volume of iron boride fractions determines the degree of hardening of the steel surface. An increase in the plasma arc current leads to a decrease in the proportion of primary borides in the surface layer after alloying, and therefore leads to a decrease in microhardness. The alloyed layer has characteristic zones: hypereutectic, eutectic and hypoeutectic. An increase in current leads to a significant change in the microstructure of the surface layer and a decrease in the microhardness of the alloyed layer. The surface layer after plasma alloying with a current of 120 A has the highest microhardness (1265 HV). It has been established that it is possible to obtain a boride layer using the technology of plasma surface doping with boron. After processing, the alloyed layer is characterized by a heterogeneous structure and has high hardness.

Diffusion kinetics of borided of low entropy soft magnetic FeCo alloy

Abstract The growth kinetics of boride layers were investigated by boronizing the FeCo low entropy alloy produced by arc melting reverse vacuum system with the pack boriding method at temperatures of 1173 K, 1223 K, 1273 K and for 2, 4, 6 h. FeCo alloy has a single-phase FCC crystal structure and there are linear cracks and homogeneously distributed point voids in its microstructure. The hardness of FeCo alloy is between 170 HV0.05 and 265 HV0.05. The boride layer appearance has a sawtooth appearance, and the layer thickness varies between 62 µm and 172 µm depending on temperature and time. According to the XRD pattern, (CoFe)B and (CoFe)B2 triple phases are present on the boride layer surface. With pack boriding, the hardness of the boride layer increased up to 2262 HV0.05, and the surface hardness of the alloy improved by 8–10 times. The boride layer activation energy of the FeCo alloy boronized with pack boriding was calculated as 89.065 kJ mol−1.

Insights into the microstructure and load-dependent wear characteristics of the boride layer on Inconel 718 alloy

Dense compact boride layer was developed on the Inconel 718 alloy by powder pack-boriding process. The microstructure and load-dependent wear characteristics of the boride layers were systematically investigated. It is found that the boride layer on Inconel 718 alloy consists of a ∼2.0 μm thick nickel-rich top layer, a ∼11.3 μm thick compound layer with nanocrystalline (Ni,Fe)23B6 and (Cr,Fe)B grains, and a ∼10.9 μm thick diffusion layer with dendritic Cr2B precipitation within the matrix. The phase evolution of the boronizing layer are explainable by thermodynamic modeling of Ni-Cr-B system and the phase stability for metastable Ni-B compounds is confirmed by DFT simulation. The boride layer on Inconel 718 alloy displays good wear resistance against Si3N4 ceramic balls both at room temperature and 500 ℃. Specifically, the wear rate at room temperature is in the order of 10-6 mm3·N-1 m-1 and the wear mechanism is combined adhesive/abrasive wear and oxidation wear. A higher loading is found to promote the formation of boron oxide tribolayer on the friction ball surface, which mitigates the wear loss effectively. At elevated temperature, the wear rate is in the order of 10-4 mm3·N-1 m-1 and the wear mechanism is severe abrasion wear and oxidative wear. The employment of higher loads is beneficial to suppressing the formation of nickel oxide debris, which participates the friction process as third body and enhances wear loss.

Characterization and Growth Kinetics of Borides Layers on Near-Alpha Titanium Alloys.

Pack boriding with CeO2 was performed on the powder metallurgical (PM) near-α type titanium alloy at a temperature of 1273-1373 K for 5-15 h followed by air cooling. The microstructure analysis showed that the boride layer on the surface of the alloy was mainly composed of a monolithic TiB2 outer layer, inner whisker TiB and sub-micron sized flake-like TiB layer. The growth kinetics of the TiB2 and TiB layers obeyed the parabolic diffusion model. The diffusion coefficient of boron in the boride layers obtained in the present study was well within the ranges reported in the literature. The activation energies of boron in the TiB2 and TiB layers during the pack boriding were estimated to be 166.4 kJ/mol and 122.8 kJ/mol, respectively. Friction tests showed that alloys borided at moderate temperatures and times had lower friction coefficients, which may have been due to the fine grain strengthening effect of TiB whiskers. The alloy borided at 1273 K for 10 h had a minimum friction coefficient of 0.73.

Determining boride layer thicknesses formed on XC38 steel with artificial neural network

Determining boride layer thicknesses formed on XC38 steel with artificial neural network

Insights on the pulsed-DC powder-pack boriding process: Kinetic, statistic, and electric field dynamics in low and medium temperatures

This study presents novel insights into the Pulsed-DC Powder-pack Boriding (PDCPB) process applied to AISI 1018 steel at low (700 °C) and medium (750–850 °C) temperatures for 1, 2, and 3 h of exposure. The electric field, induced with periodic polarity inversion half-cycles of 10 s under 5–10 A, promoted a constant B+ flux, ensuring a uniform boride layer thickness. The growth of the boride layers was estimated using Dybkov's Chemical Interaction Model (DCIM) and analysis of variance (ANOVA). DCIM established the B activation energies in FeB and Fe2B phases, while ANOVA determined the influence of treatment parameters on the total layer thickness.The results demonstrated a reduction of B activation energies in FeB and Fe2B by up to ∼ 23 % and ∼ 15 %, respectively, compared to conventional powder-pack boriding. These reductions were attributed to electromigration and Joule heating phenomena. ANOVA results indicated that temperature was the most significant parameter (77 %) for total (FeB + Fe2B) layer thickness. At the lowest treatment temperature (700 °C), the highest average boriding media resistance (∼ 3.06 Ω) was measured, and the maximal electric field magnitude (3098 V m−1) was determined through computational analysis.

Effect of Diffusion Annealing and Aging Post-Treatments on Scratch Properties of Boride Layers on CoCrMo Alloy

Effect of Diffusion Annealing and Aging Post-Treatments on Scratch Properties of Boride Layers on CoCrMo Alloy

Boriding of Ti-xNb alloys: Influence of Nb on the features of boride layer

In this study, Ti-xNb (x = 0–40 wt%) alloys produced by the powder metallurgy were borided with the aim of clarifying the effect of Nb on the structural and mechanical properties of the boride layer. After smearing the paste prepared from nano boron powder on the surfaces of the alloys, boriding was conducted at three different temperatures (900, 1000 and 1100 °C) for 8 h in a vacuum atmosphere. Unlike those formed at 900 °C, boriding temperatures of 1000 and 1100 °C provided thicker and homogenous boride layers. However, the boriding temperature of 1100 °C induced cracking within the boride layer of the Ti40Nb alloy. For these reasons, the optimum boriding temperature was determined as 1000 °C. Increase in the Nb content not only increased the fraction of β-Ti phase in the microstructure of the sintered alloy at the expense of α-Ti, but also induced NbB2 in the structure of the boride layer along with TiB2. While Nb-poor α-Ti grains favoured the growth of TiB2, TiB2·NbB2 mixture preferentially developed over the Nb-rich β-Ti grains. As the result of this, the hardness of the boride layer tended to decrease with increasing Nb content of the substrate. For example, the average hardness of the boride layers formed on Nb-free Ti and Ti40Nb alloy were measured as ∼2674 HV0.025 and ∼ 2460 HV0.025, respectively. But regardless from the hardness, the boride layers provided a good protection for the underlying substrates against dry sliding contact and triggered abrasive wear on the contact surface of the counterface (WC-Co ball). The presence of NbB2 in the boride layer led to a reduction in abrasive wear of the counterface. This finding revealed that in any wear-related application, where borided Ti alloys were intended to be used, it is better to choose high Nb-containing Ti alloys instead of α-Ti to minimize the wear of the tribo-couple via reducing the abrasion at the counter body.

Growth kinetics of Fe2B layer formed on the surface of borided AISI M2 high-speed steel

Abstract In this study, the growth kinetics of the Fe2B layer was investigated and formed on the surface of borided AISI M2 high-speed steel. Boriding treatments carried out by the pack-boriding method were carried out using Ekabor 2 boriding agent at 1,173, 1,273, and 1,373 K for 2, 4, and 6 h. After the boriding processes, the samples were prepared metallographically and their microstructures were examined with the help of backscattered electrons (BE) by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Following SEM examinations, microhardness measurements were carried out from a single sample using 100 g with the Vickers indentation method to understand whether the layer hardness was compatible with Fe2B. When the results of the experimental studies are compared with the results of the literature, it has been determined that AISI M2 high-speed steel can be borided and the boride layer formed on the surface is single-phased (Fe2B), unlike that formed on many other steel types. After determining that the layer formed on the borided AISI M2 surface is single-phase Fe2B, the growth kinetics calculations of this phase were carried out with the help of the Arrhenius equation.

Characterization of Wear Resistance and Corrosion Resistance of Plasma Paste Borided Layers Produced on Pure Titanium.

Commercially pure titanium was plasma paste borided using various temperatures of the process. An increase in the boriding temperature resulted in an increase in the thickness of the borided layer. All the layers produced consisted of an outer compact TiB2 zone and an inner TiB zone in the form of whiskers penetrating into the substrate. The presence of hard titanium borides resulted in a significant increase in wear resistance compared to non-borided pure titanium. However, the thickness of the layer produced strongly influenced the wear behavior, in respect of the time required for complete destruction of the layer. Higher wear resistance was characteristic of the TiB2 layer due to its compact nature, whereas the specific morphology of TiB whiskers resulted in their lower wear resistance compared to the outer TiB2 layer. Plasma paste boriding of pure titanium also had an advantageous effect on corrosion resistance compared to non-borided pure titanium. Simultaneously, due to the higher thickness of TiB2 layer, the specimen borided at a higher temperature showed higher corrosion resistance.

Influence of the boriding thermal cycle of a cladded Inconel 718 layer on both in situ age hardening as well as wear and corrosion behavior

Nickel-based superalloys exhibit exceptional suitability for operating in environments characterized by corrosive agents and elevated temperatures. Strategic allocation of this expensive material solely to the functional surface areas yields significant economic advantages. The poor tribological property profile of Inconel 718 can be significantly improved through a boriding process. In this study, the possibility of combining a coating process with boriding technology and in situ heat treatment was investigated. Layers of Inconel 718 were deposited to an austenitic stainless steel using wire-based electron beam cladding (EBC) and subsequently subjected to boriding. Based on results from annealing experiments, boriding treatments were performed at various temperature/time regimens with the aim of inducing in situ age hardening during boriding. The focus was on the investigation of the influence of the temperature/time regime during boriding on the microstructure and hardness, as well as examining the wear and corrosion behavior of the resulting borided layers. The results showed that the desired target hardness range was achieved after in situ aging with all boriding variants. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that boriding significantly improved the wear resistance but decreased corrosion resistance.

Experimental Study on Microalloyed Steel with Layers Subjected to Diesel

This work studies the mechanical behavior of microalloyed steels (API X60 and API X70) with boride layers using a boriding process and immersion in diesel. First, the microalloyed steels were borided using dehydrated boron paste at a temperature of 1273 K for 6 h, and then the borided microalloyed steels were immersed in diesel for one year. The characterization of the layers on the specimens subjected to diesel used scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The evaluation of the mechanical properties was performed with tensile tests according to ASTM E8, and then the fracture surface was observed by SEM. This work contributes to the understanding of the changes in the mechanical properties of borided microalloyed steel immersed in diesel for possible potential applications in the storage of fuels, oils, hydrogen, and biofuels.

Microstructural and kinetics analysis of FeB–Fe2B layer grown by pulsed-DC powder-pack boriding on AISI 316 L steel

In this study, novel findings were obtained regarding the influence of a 10 A current intensity on the growth of an FeB–Fe2B layer during pulsed-DC powder-pack boriding. Boride layer formation was carried out on AISI 316 L steel at 1123–1223 K for different exposure times at each temperature, considering 10 s polarity inversion cycles. The boride layer was characterized by x-ray diffraction and high-speed Berkovich nanoindentation, the latter being used to determine the hardness and reduced Young’s modulus mappings along the depth of the layer-substrate system. Moreover, the growth kinetics of the FeB–Fe2B layer on the steel’s surface was modeled using the heat balance integral method (HBIM). This involved transforming Fick’s second law into ordinary differential equations over time, assuming a quadratic boron concentration profile in space to determine the B diffusion coefficients in FeB and Fe2B, respectively. From the Arrhenius relationship, the B activation energies in the boride layer were estimated considering the contribution of the electromigration effect; the results showed an approximately 30% reduction compared to the values obtained in the conventional powder-pack boriding for AISI 316 L steel. Finally, the theoretical layer thickness obtained by the HBIM demonstrated an error of no more than 5% against the experimental FeB and FeB + Fe2B layer thickness values.

Tribological and Mechanical Behavior of Automotive Crankshaft Steel Superficially Modified Using the Boriding Hardening Process

One of the primary challenges in the automotive industry is the wear of engine components, such as the crankshaft and camshaft, which is the most pronounced during the engine’s startup phase, when the amount of lubricant fluid is at its lowest. This study aims to enhance the surface wear resistance of automotive crankshaft steel by applying a boriding thermochemical process. This process forms a hard surface layer on the steel, improving its mechanical properties and bolstering its wear resistance, especially under dry conditions. Boride layers were achieved using the powder-pack boriding process in a conventional furnace, with meticulous treatment times of 2, 4, and 6 h at a constant temperature of 950 °C. The nature of the layers was analyzed using X-ray diffraction, and their tribological behavior was evaluated using the pin-on-disk test. The growth of the layers was directly proportional to the treatment time and was estimated at 145 µm and 48 µm for the 6 and 2 h of treatment, respectively. The surface hardness increased from 320 HV for the non-treated steel to 2034 HV for the sample exposed to 950 °C for 6 h. The results indicate a significant reduction in the coefficient of friction from 0.43 for the non-treated steel to 0.12 for the samples exposed to 950 °C for 6 h, suggesting potential wear protection during the engine starting period.

The effect of different powder mixtures used in the boriding process on the surface properties of AISI 304 stainless steel material

AISI 304 stainless steel, which is used in many areas such as chemistry, petrochemistry, storage tanks and food storage, attracts attention in terms of surface hardness and wear resistance, especially when its industrial applications are evaluated. In this study, it was aimed to improve the surface properties of the AISI 304 stainless steel material used as the substrate material. To develop the best surface properties, boriding layers of varying percentages were created. In order to create these layers, B4C, KBF4, SiC and graphite powders were compared using variable ratios. Microhardness and wear tests were performed on the borided samples and microstructure examinations were carried out using optical, SEM, XRD and EDX. It has been determined that the B4C used as boron source should not be less than 20% for the formation of the boriding layer and the double phase FeB/Fe2B. The powder mixture ratio with the highest thickness and hardness value of the boriding layer formed is the powder mixture with 20% B4C, 50% KBF4, 10% SiC and 20% graphite content. It was observed that the layer thickness increased by 63% and the hardness value increased by 11%. It was observed that this powder mixture gave the lowest wear rate compared to the other powder mixtures in the study. The difference between the highest and lowest wear rate is more than 3 times greater.

BORIDE LAYER GROWTH KINETICS ON X90CrMoV-18 STEEL

Boronizing is a type of thermal diffusion with the primary goal of increasing the surface hardness, wear and corrosion resistance. The wear resistance of boronized parts depends on the type of borides that form on the steel surface and their thickness. This study investigated the properties of boride layers formed on X90CrMoV-18 martensitic stainless steel, using pack boronizing carried out in a temperature range of 850–1000 °C and in durations of (1, 3 and 5) h. Results indicate a difference in the boride layer thickness of 3–80 µm and volume share of boride phases depending on the temperature and time of boriding. From the boriding compound depth, values of the frequency factor and activation energy were determined using the Arrhenius equation. With these values, the parabolic equation for predicting the growth rate of a boride layer was formulated and validated for different times and temperatures of boriding.

Boronizing of Monel K500 alloy: Microstructural characterization and modeling of boron diffusion

In this study, the thermochemical treatments were carried out using the powder-pack boronizing method at temperatures ranging from 1123 K to 1223 K for durations of 2 to 6 h, with the aim of improving the surface properties of Monel K500 alloy. Microstructural investigation of the boride layers, conducted using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), revealed a needle-like layer structure with high porosity homogeneously distributed on the surface. The results of XRD analysis showed that the boride layer contained different nickel borides (Ni2B, Ni3B, Ni4B3 and NiB12), iron borides (Fe2B and Fe3B) and complex borides (Fe4.5Ni18.5B6 and Fe3Ni3B). The presence and amount of elements in the boride layer were determined by EDS analysis. This study focused mainly on diffusion kinetics studies of boronized Monel K500 alloy. Growth kinetics of the boride layer were investigated using three different approaches such as parabolic growth model, regression model and mean diffusion coefficient (MDC) model. Boron activation energy values were calculated and found to be quite similar, at 266.14 kJ mol−1 and 266.17 kJ mol−1 using the MDC model and parabolic growth model, respectively. These values were compared with similar results reported in the literature.

Investigation of tribological behavior of coated and untreated rail steels under wet conditions

Rails are exposed to more stresses, especially in the regions of narrow radius curves and switch passages. Therefore, the tribological features of these regions are important. In this study, the effect of boronization on tribological properties was examined. For this purpose, experiments were carried out on samples boronized at 800 °C for 2 h and 8 h and on untreated samples. With these experiments, the friction coefficient, volume loss and surface roughness values of the samples under wet conditions were examined. In addition, the microstructures of the material after boriding were observed by SEM and EDX. The variance and regression method (ANOVA) was used for the statistical analysis of the experimental results. After SEM examinations, a coating layer of ∼22 μm (FeB) and ∼48 μm (FeB+Fe2B) were obtained on the surface of the rail steels boronized for 2 and 8 h, respectively. The microhardness of the rail steels, which was ∼300 HV for the untreated sample, increased to ∼1900 HV and ∼2400 HV with the boronizing process boronized for 2 and 8 h, respectively. According to the ANOVA results, the effects of the boronizing process on the decrease of the friction coefficient and the volume loss were calculated as 42% and 46%, respectively. Finally, according to the corrosion results, the corrosion resistance of the boronized rail steels decreased with the boride layer formed.

Catalysis effect of rare earth element Ce on paste boriding treatment of AISI 410 steel

Abstract Surface hardening techniques of steel are of great practical interest for applications in various industrial sectors. Boriding is one of the most economical choices. However, the chief deterrent to the widespread application of the technique is the difficulty in attaining a thick, dense boride layer. To solve this problem, a paste boriding process was performed on the surface of AISI 410 steel by introducing 6 wt.% CeO2 addition into the boriding agent. The microstructure of the boride layer is comprised of (Fe, Cr)B and (Fe, Cr)2B, which lie in the external and internal layers of the boride layer, respectively. CeO2 addition makes it possible to prepare a thick, dense boride layer on the surface of the steel substrate, thereby improving both wear and corrosion resistance of the steel. The catalysis mechanism of the rare earth element Ce can be ascribed to three aspects. First, CeO2 addition can take part in the chemical reactions involved in the boriding process to produce more active boron atoms. Second, Ce can facilitate the adsorption of active boron atoms onto the surface of the steel through preventing the formation of iron oxides on the steel’s surface. Third, Ce can diffuse into the surface of the steel and generate severe lattice distortion due to large atomic size, thereby promoting the boron diffusion. These results provide a high-quality, low-cost pathway for the surface hardening of steel in practical industrial applications.

Confrontation of linear versus nonlinear approach in Fe2B boridelayer thickness predictions

Kinetic studies of boride layers focus on trying to accurately predict their thicknesses according to some variables using different approaches. In this paper, an approach that is reliant on a multilinear regression is investigated. In doing so, with an engineering perspective, temperature and time are used as the sole variables in predicting a boride layer thickness u. The approach uses experimental data from a boriding process performed on iron substrates of the XC38 steel. A comparison between the proposed linear model and a nonlinear one is seen afterward to scrutinize the results. That nonlinear approach is known as the diffusion model and is based on Fick’s second law, where it uses more variables than the linear approach to estimate its predictions. Ultimately, the comparison elucidated that the use of a linear regression-based model can be an accurate engineering tool to identify boride layer thicknesses, but without interpolating the results outside the scope of the studied interval.