Borided Samples Research Articles

The Effect of Boriding Temperature and Time on the Structural and Mechanical Properties of M42 Steel

In this study, the effect of boriding temperature and time on the structural and mechanical properties of M42 high speed steel were investigated. Samples placed in Ekabor II powder were exposed to pack boriding treatment at 900°C and 1000°C for 4 hour and at 950°C for 2, 4 and 6 hours. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicate that boron diffuses into the samples and a sawtooth-like cross-sectional morphology is formed. The presence of boron has also been proven by Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). In addition, it was determined that boron layer thickness increased with increasing boriding temperature. When the microhardness values were examined, it was observed that the sample borided at the highest temperature had the highest hardness value and the hardness values decrease with the decreasing of boriding temperature. Similar results were also obtained regarding the boriding time. The highest microhardness and layer thickness values were obtained after 6 hours of boriding. Additionally, it was observed that the hardness values of borided samples decreased as they moved from the surface to the inner parts.

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.

Experimental and numerical evaluation of multi-pass scratch on borided ARMCO iron

Thermochemical treatments are used for increasing the surface mechanical properties of iron and steels. The wear on mechanical components caused by sliding contact is an important parameter in the field of tribology. In this study, the wear resistance of ARMCO pure iron hardened by the powder-pack boriding process was evaluated using unidirectional dry sliding. The thermochemical treatment of boriding was carried out at temperatures of 850 °C for 1, 2 and 3 h of exposure time. Surface properties such as hardness and Young's modulus were obtained using the nanoindentation technique. The wear testing was performed by multi-pass scratch using an Al2O3 sphere as counterpart, constant loads of 20 and 30 N and 50, 100 and 150 passes (with a sliding distance of 5 mm for each pass). The Archard's model was used to obtain the wear coefficient for each treatment condition. The finite element method applying mesh nonlinear adaptivity was used to evaluate the stress field in the borided samples under sliding contact. Results showed that borided ARMCO pure iron under unidirectional sliding loading caused both adhesive and abrasive wear. Furthermore, for the boriding conditions established in this work, the wear behavior at loads ≥30 N was governed by both the mechanical properties of the boride layer and its thickness, whereas at lower loads only the mechanical properties of the boride layer influenced the wear resistance.

Improving the Mechanical and Electrochemical Performance of Additively Manufactured 8620 Low Alloy Steel via Boriding

In this study, mechanical and electrochemical performance of borided additively manufactured (AM) and wrought 8620 low alloy steel were investigated and compared to their bare counterparts. The microstructure of borided 8620 exhibited the presence of FeB and Fe2B phases with a saw tooth morphology. Both AM and wrought samples with boride layers showed a similar performance in hardness, wear, potentiodynamic polarization (PD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear polarization resistance (LPR) experiments. However, borided steels exhibited about an 8-fold increase in Vickers hardness and about a 6-fold enhancement in wear resistance compared to bare ones. Electrochemical experiments of borided specimens (both AM and wrought) in 0.1 M Na2S2O3 + 1 M NH4Cl solution revealed a 3–6-fold lower corrosion current density, about a 6-fold higher charge transfer resistance, and about a 6-fold lower double-layer capacitance, demonstrating an improved corrosion resistance compared to their bare counterparts. Post-corrosion surface analysis revealed the presence of thick sulfide and oxide layers on the bare steels, whereas dispersed corrosion particles were observed on the borided samples. The enhanced wear and electrochemical performance of the borided steels were attributed to the hard FeB/Fe2B layers and the reduced amount of adsorbed sulfur on their surface.

Insight into tribocorrosion resistance and tribofilm formation on titanium boride coatings in a phosphate buffer saline solution

TiB2+TiB coatings were formed on Ti–6Al–4V through a molten-salt diffusional process at temperatures of 850 °C and 900 °C for 16 h. The thickness of the TiB layer increased by about two times at the higher process temperature, while the thickness of the TiB2 layer remained constant. Tribocorrosion rate of Ti–6Al–4V and the coated samples was evaluated in a reciprocating sliding under a normal load of 15 N in a phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution for 3600–36000 cycles against an alumina ball. The results showed that the tribocorrosion rate of the borided samples decreased up to 56 times compared with Ti–6Al–4V after 36000 cycles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies showed the presence of oxide-rich patches on the wear surface of Ti–6Al–4V with a thickness of up to 1 μm. TEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images also revealed the presence of a tribofilm with a thickness of up to 200 nm on the surface of the boride coating. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the tribofilm formed on the wear surface of coated samples contained B2O3/H3BO3 compound, resulting in a more stable fluctuation in coefficient of friction and open circuit potential during sliding. The SEM images of the alumina wear surface showed cracks and titanium transfer layers in contact with the borided layers and Ti–6Al–4V, respectively.

Effect of laser surface texturing and boriding on the tribocorrosion resistance of an ASTM F-1537 cobalt alloy

Different kinds of materials are broadly employed to manufacture bioimplants. Metals are commonly used for the fabrication of lower body components such as knee prostheses and hip replacements because of their good mechanical properties. Among the available metallic biomaterials, cobalt alloys are commonly used. However, the hostile environment of the human body promotes the corrosion of the metallic bioimplant, and the wear due to the sliding contact could also increase the corrosion. There is, therefore, a constant attempt to study the surface of metallic biomaterials to enhance their functionality. In the present work, two kinds of surface modification techniques were employed on ASTM F-1537 cobalt alloy samples: laser surface texturing and boriding. Tribocorrosion tests were carried out using a linear reciprocating tribometer coupled with a standard three-electrode electrochemical cell. Tafel polarization plots were used to calculate the material loss due to corrosion. Also, non-contact profilometry was employed to estimate the tribocorrosion volume loss. In addition, the worn tracks were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The textured + borided samples increased 1.5 times the tribocorrosion resistance compared to the untreated samples. The differences in the tribocorrosion performance among the modified surfaces were discussed in this paper.

Enhancing the wear performance of Ti-6Al-4V against Al2O3 and WC-6Co via TiBn layer produced by boriding

Abstract In this study, mechanical and tribological properties of the borided dual-phase α + β type Ti6Al4V titanium alloy were examined. For this purpose, Ti6Al4V alloy samples were borided for 6 h at a temperature of 1100 °C by the powder-pack boriding process. As a result of boriding, a boride layer consisting of TiB2 with a thickness of max ∼25 µm and TiB phases with a thickness of max ∼10 µm was obtained on the Ti6Al4V sample surfaces. As a result of the boride layer’s nanoindentation tests carried out using the Berkovich indenter, it was found to have an elastic modulus of 534.255 GPa and a hardness of 36.537 GPa. Wear tests were carried out using the pin-on-disc method under a load of 10 N and with a sliding distance of 1000 m. Whereas the dominant type of wear in non-borided samples was abrasive wear, oxidative mild wear was generally observed in borided samples. In borided samples, as a result of becoming of surface smoother by hard asperities breaking and increasing the actual contact area, the friction coefficients increased. It was determined that with boriding, the wear performance of Ti6Al4V alloy improved ∼46.8 times against the Al2O3 counterpart and ∼4.57 times against WC-6Co counterpart.

TRIBOCORROSION PROPERTIES OF BORIDED AND Al2O3-COATED NiTi MATERIAL

The purpose of this study was to investigate the tribological properties of NiTi shape-memory alloy that was borided and coated with Al2O3 using the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method. For the study, the sample surface was borided for 1 and 4 h at 800°C with the method of pack boriding, and the surface of the sample that was borided was coated with Al2O3 using the EPD method. The tribocorrosion properties of the untreated samples, borided samples, and borided and (duplex) Al2O3-coated samples were investigated and characterized using XRD and SEM devices. Accordingly, following the boriding treatment on the NiTi material, Al2O3 coating was successfully carried out with the EPD method. In comparison to the untreated samples, the tribocorrosion resistance of the surface-treated samples under a load of 3 N in a 3.5% NaCl solution increased. Additionally, among all samples, those that were subjected to the duplex surface treatment had the best tribocorrosion properties.

Tribocorrosion and corrosion behavior of double borided layers formed on Ti-6Al-4V alloy: An approach for applications to bio-implants

TiB2 and TiB double layers were formed on surface of Ti-6Al-4V by a diffusional process at 850 ͦC for 4–16 h. EIS and XPS analyses revealed that formation of a passive film on the coated samples in a PBS solution increased corrosion resistance of Ti-6Al-4V. Tribocorrosion rate of the borided samples decreased up to 40 times compared with Ti-6Al-4V under a reciprocating condition and normal loads of 0.5–15 N against an alumina ball. The presence of B2O3/H3BO3 tribofilm on the borided samples led to a lower coefficient of friction and a more stable fluctuation of OCP.

Microstructural characterization, boriding kinetics and tribo-wear behavior of borided Fe-based A286 superalloy

Iron-based superalloys are alloys produced for use in corrosive environments as an alternative to high-cost nickel-based superalloys. However, their average strength and hardness, attributed to their austenitic structures, limit their use in tribological applications. In an attempt to counter these drawbacks, boriding was applied to an iron-based A286 superalloy having an initial surface hardness of 320 HV. Boriding kinetics, some mechanical properties, and tribo-wear (ambient air and 3.5 NaCl environment) behaviors of the formed boride layers were investigated. Multicomponent boride layers (consist of FeB, Fe 2 B, CrB, NiB, Ni 4 B 3 ) were formed on the surface of the alloy, with hardness and thickness values of 1498–1961 HV and 20–130 μm, respectively, depending on the boriding temperature and the treatment time. The integral diffusion model was adopted to deal with the kinetics of monoboride and hemiboride layers formed on the surface. The boron activation energies of FeB, Fe 2 B, and DZ layer were estimated as equal to 175.86, 198.7, and 205.73 kJ mol −1 , respectively. As a result of increased surface hardness, all of the borided samples displayed reduced friction coefficients and higher wear resistance compared to the untreated alloy, in both ambient air and 3.5% NaCl. However, the increase in wear resistance was not proportional to the increase in hardness; while the best wear resistance was obtained in samples borided at 850–950 °C for 6 h, the lowest wear resistance was obtained in samples borided for 4–6 h at 1050 °C. This situation was caused by the Kirkendall effect and residual stresses in the structure of alloying elements with different diffusion rates due to the high-temperature effect of the boriding process. • Fe-based superalloy with average strengths and low hardness was successfully pack-borided. • Formed borides were examined using XRD, SEM-EDS, nanoindentation, microhardness, surface roughness and tribo-wear tests. • The hardness and elasticity modules of Fe-based superalloy were developed by boriding. • The friction and wear performance of A286 was improved with the boriding both in ambient air and 3.5% NaCl solutions. • Boriding open new possibilities for the use of Fe-based superalloys in tribo-corrosive environments.

Tribological and adhesion properties of microwave-assisted borided AISI 316L steel

Abstract In this study, AISI 316L stainless steel alloy samples were borided with powder-pack boriding method using Ekabor II powder with the support of a microwave furnace with a power of 2.9 KW and a frequency of 2.45 GHz. Boriding was carried out at 850, 900 and 950 °C temperatures for 2, 4 and 6 h of operation. A distinct diffusion barrier consisting of Fe–Ni–Si elements was detected in borided samples at 950 °C for 4 and 6 h. As a result of the Daimler Benz Rockwell-C adhesion tests, regions with insufficient adhesion strength were detected in these samples. In other samples, adhesion qualities between boride layers and substrate were in the range of HF1–HF3. The lowest specific wear rates were determined as 5.208 (mm3 Nm−1) × 10−6 and 5.210 (mm3 Nm−1) × 10−6 for the samples borided for 6 h at 850 °C and 4 h at 900 °C, respectively. It was determined that the increase in thickness of the brittle FeB compound increased the wear with the three-body abrasive wear mechanism.

The effects of boriding process on tribological properties and corrosive behavior of a novel high manganese steel

• Borided HMS unexpectedly exhibited saw-tooth morphology. • Borided HMS has superior adhesion properties. • Boriding increases service life, wear and corrosion resistance of HMS. In this study, wear and corrosion behavior of a novel borided high manganese steel (HMS) produced by the researchers was investigated. After the sheets were cold-rolled, they were annealed. HMS was borided at 850, 900, and 950 °C for 2, 4, and 6 h through the pack-boriding process. Borided HMS uncommonly exhibited a saw-tooth morphology like low alloy steels due to similar crystal structures of MnB and FeB. XRD analysis showed the existence of SiC, FeB, MnB and Fe 2 B phases. The present study indicated a silicon-rich zone by EDX mapping. The formation mechanism of silicon-rich zones was explained and expressed with the term “compact transfer of silicones”. The boriding time and temperature increased the thickness of the boride layer from 26.13 μm to 109.04 μm. The highest hardness value was observed in sample 5 (1757 HV 0.05 ). The activation energy of borided HMS was quite low compared to several high alloy steels in the literature. Daimler-Benz Rockwell-C adhesion test showed that adhesions of borided HMS surfaces were sufficient. The "egg-shell effect" that emerge due to the high silicon rate did not occur. In the wear tests applied under 5, 10, and 15 N loads, the borided HMSs exhibited a better wear resistance compared to the base metal (BM). However, the wear test was applied under 5 N load and BM had a better performance than several borided HMSs because of the phase transformations. In general, the borided samples had lower corrosion rates compared to the unborided ones.

The Effect of Boriding and Heat Treatment on the Structure and Properties of 100Cr6 Steel

The main aim of this case study is to present the changes caused by heat treatment on the structure and properties of 100Cr6 steel by annealing, hardening, and tempering in combination with previous chemical-heat treatment (CHT) by boriding. The boriding causes changes to the microstructure of the steel samples, which include a change in the morphology of the deposited cementite and a change in the volume of the chromium carbide particles. The cementite is transformed from its original granular form to a lamellar form. An increase in the proportion of chromium carbide particles in the sample occurs due to the higher affinity of chromium for carbon. This leads to precipitation of chromium carbides rather than carbides of iron. A multi-phase diffusion layer Fe2B-FeB with a thickness of 31 ± 2.8 µm is formed during boriding, with a typical tooth-like texture. Although the diffusion layer does not have the same toughness and resistance as the single-phase Fe2B diffusion layer, samples after boriding increase their resistance to tribological abrasion by 29 % compared to samples without this treatment. After quenching and tempering of the borided samples, a maximum tensile strength of Rm = 1779 MPa is measured. Compared to samples which are only quenched and subsequently tempered, this is an increase in tensile strength of about 59 %.

Boride Coatings on Steel Protecting it Against Corrosion by a Liquid Lead-Free Solder Alloy

The goal of this research is to study the applicability of the diffusion boriding process as a high-temperature thermochemical heat treatment to enhance the lifetime of steel selective soldering tools. The main purpose of the work is to discuss the behavior of double-phase (FeB/Fe2B) iron-boride coating on the surface of different steels (DC04, C45, CK60, and C105U) against the stationary SAC309 lead-free solder liquid alloy. The boride coating was formed on the surface of the steel samples through the powder pack boriding technique. The microstructure of the formed layer was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The borided samples were first cut in half and then immersed into a stationary SAC309 lead-free solder liquid alloy (Sn–3Ag–0.9Cu) for 40 days. Microstructure examinations were performed by SEM with energy-dispersive spectroscopy and an elemental distribution map after the dissolution test. Excessive dissolution/corrosion of the original steel surface was observed at the steel/SAC interfaces, leading also to the formation of Fe–Sn intermetallic phases. This was found to be the major reason for the failure of selective soldering tools made of steel. On the contrary, no dissolution and no intermetallic compounds were observed at the FeB/SAC and at the Fe2B/SAC interfaces; as a result, the thicknesses of the FeB and Fe2B phases remained the same during the 40-day dissolution tests. Thus, it was concluded that both FeB and Fe2B phases show excellent resistance against the aggressive liquid solder alloy. The results of the dissolution tests show a good agreement with the thermodynamic calculations.

Corrosion resistance evaluation of boron-carbon coating on ASTM A-36 steel

The ASTM A-36 steel is the main alloy, used in the metal-mechanical industry. In the present study, the effect of boron-carbon coating on the hardness and corrosion resistance of the steel ASTM A-36 was reported. Boronizing thermochemical treatment was carried out at 950 °C for 4 h followed by the carburizing process at 930 °C for 6 h. The corrosion study was conducted using the polarization technique (Tafel) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which employed a fused deposition modeling-based 3D printing electrochemical cell made of polylactic acid (PLA). A commercial platinum foil and an Ag/AgCl (3.5 M KCl) electrode were used as the counter and reference electrode, respectively. The working electrode used an area of 1 cm2 of the sample. Optical microscopic analysis shown that borides formed on the surface of steels has a saw-tooth morphology and a uniform coating with a thickness of about 60 µm in both samples. The carburizing over boride promoted the formation of coatings on the outermost layer of the samples with a thickness of about 17 µm over the boride layer. Boride formation was verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicating only the formation of the Fe2B phase. Results showed that boride samples exhibited inferior corrosion resistance compared to original samples, but after carburizing, an outer layer was formed, with the hardness and corrosion resistance like that of the original sample.

Improvement of Mechanical, Tribological, and Fricative Reduction Properties of Pure Titanium by Boriding

Surface boriding of pure titanium was performed using dissolved salt impregnation to modify the surface hardness and improve wear performance. The effect of boriding temperature (950–1150 °C) on the microstructure, composition, and room-temperature tribological properties of the borided samples was investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and ball-on-disc tribometry, respectively. Gibbs free energy was also calculated to evaluate the compounds generated during the boriding at different temperatures. After a detailed analysis of the crystal structures and the growth morphologies of TiB, the diffusion mechanisms for B atoms in TiB and TiB2 were discussed in the present report. The boriding temperature had a large effect on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and room-temperature tribological behavior of the borided samples, attributed to the changes in the composition and the increased hardened layer under elevated boriding temperature. The modeling of layer growth kinetics was also discussed in this paper. The actual value of hardened layer thickness was compared to the calculated value, and the difference was analyzed. The fricative value of the borided samples showed a minimum value of 88.9 dB for a boriding temperature of 1050 °C. The depth and width of the wear tracks decreased gradually with increasing boriding temperature. The worn surface of the samples borided at higher temperatures showed very good wear resistance. A boriding condition of 1050 °C was considered optimal, as it provided sufficiently high surface hardness and a low fricative value to reduce vibrations during practical use.

Characteristics, high temperature wear and oxidation behavior of boride layer grown on nimonic 80A Ni-based superalloy

Nickel-based superalloy Nimonic 80A was pack-borided in a solid medium at temperatures of 850 °C and 950 °C for 2 h and 4 h using silicon-free boriding powders. To investigate the effects of the boriding treatments on mechanical properties (hardness, modulus of elasticity, fracture toughness) and high temperature oxidation resistance, the layers grown on the surfaces were characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry, and evaluated using microhardness, nanoindentation, wear and oxidation tests. Wear tests were performed on untreated and borided Nimonic 80A alloys using a ball-on-disc tribometer at room temperature and at 500 °C under dry sliding conditions. Oxidation tests were carried out in air at 1000 °C for 5 h, 25 h and 75 h. Characterization studies revealed a smooth, 22 to 86 μm thick crack-free boride layer consisting mainly of Ni2B and minor quantities of CrB, Cr2B and Cr5B3 in the borided samples. The hardness and elastic modulus of the boride layer was measured as 15.57–18.95 GPa and 142–217 GPa, respectively. Increasing the boriding temperature and time increased the concentrations of chromium in the boride layer. The hardness and elastic modulus of the boride layer increased with chromium content while its fracture toughness decreased. The boriding treatments improved the dry sliding wear resistance. Increasing boriding time and temperature generally led to a higher wear resistance values. However, the treatments had no significant effect on oxidation resistance. The results of this study show that boriding can significantly improve the wear resistance of Nimonic 80A without compromising its oxidation resistance.

Characterization of Boride Layer Formed on Ti–6Al–4V Alloy by Electron Beam Evaporation Technique

Ti–6Al–4V alloy was borided by using a two-stage boriding process. In the first stage, boron atoms accumulated on Ti–6Al–4V alloy samples via electron beam evaporation technique. The second stage included annealing of samples after boron deposition at various temperatures in order to achieve boride layer with high hardness and adherence. After the boriding treatment, phases formed on the surface of the Ti–6Al–4V alloy were identified by X-ray diffraction technique. The microstructure and thickness of boride layers were examined by scanning electron microscope. Microstructural analyses indicated that surface structure of borided samples comprised of TiB2 layer on the top and TiB whiskers towards the substrate. It was revealed that boriding by electron beam evaporation technique resulted in formation of a hard and adhered surface structure after annealing especially at 950°C for 24 h. Microhardness measurements showed that boride layer on Ti–6Al–4V has mean hardness value of about 1937 HV. Boriding at 950°C for 24 h brought about an improvement in wear resistance of Ti–6Al–4V alloy. The borided surface exhibited higher wear resistance along with higher coefficient of friction as compared to as-received one.

The Importance of Phase Composition for Corrosion Resistance of Borided Layers Produced on Nickel Alloys.

The plasma paste boriding process was used for production of the borided layers on pure nickel and nickel-chromium alloys. The produced layers consisted of nickel borides only (in the case of nickel) or a nickel and chromium borides mixture (in the case Ni–Cr alloys). The objective of this investigation was to indicate the importance of the presence of chromium for corrosion resistance of non-borided alloys, as well as to indicate the influence of phase composition of borided layers on their corrosion resistance. Pure nickel was characterized by higher corrosion resistance, in comparison to the nickel-based alloys. Increased chromium content in nickel alloys resulted in their high susceptibility for pitting corrosion. All borided samples were characterized by higher corrosion resistance than the non-borided samples. However, the phase composition of borided layers influenced their corrosion resistance. Due to the microstructure which consisted of one type of borides (nickel borides), borided nickel had the highest resistance to corrosion, whereas the presence of chromium borides in layers produced on nickel-chromium alloys caused a decrease in corrosion resistance.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of borided CoCrFeNiAl0.25Ti0.5 high entropy alloy produced by powder metallurgy

CoCrFeNiAl0.25Ti0.5 high entropy alloy alloys (HEA), produced by powder metallurgy were subjected to boriding to improve their mechanical properties. Sintering was carried out at 1200 °C for 2 h in Ar, and boriding was performed at 900, 1000 and 1100 °C for 2 h using a 90 wt% B4C + 10 wt% NaBF4 boriding powder mixture. Microstructures, densities, surface roughnesses, and mechanical properties (hardness, fracture toughness and nanoindentation responses) of the samples were investigated. FCC, BCC and sigma phases had been observed after sintering, whereas complex metal borides were formed on the surfaces after boriding. Relative density values were between 85% and 90%. Significant increases in surface hardness were observed after boriding due to formation of hard, silicide-free boride layers. The boride layer thickness and hardness increased with increasing boriding temperature. The elastic modulus of the surface of the sintered sample (47.07 GPa) increased with the boriding process to values in the range of 140–151 GPa. Fracture toughness values between 3.57 and 4.25 MPa m1/2 were obtained in borided samples, and increasing the boriding temperature reduced the fracture toughness.