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Evaluation of the Effect of Different Plasma-Nitriding Parameters on the Properties of Low-Alloy Steel

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Abstract

This work is concerned with the surface treatment (ion nitriding) of different plasma-nitriding parameters on the characteristics of DIN 1.8519 low-alloy steel. The samples were nitrided from 500 to 570 °C for 5–40 h using a constant 25% N2-75% H2 gaseous mixture. Lower temperature (500–520 °C) favors the formation of compound layers of γ′ and ε iron nitrides in the surface layers, whereas a monophase γ′-Fe4 N layer can be obtained at a higher temperature. The hardness of this layer can be obtained when nitriding is performed at a higher temperature, and the hardness decreases when the temperature increases to 570 °C. These results indicate that pulsed plasma nitriding is highly efficient at 550 °C and can form thick and hard nitrided layers with satisfactory mechanical properties. The results show the optimized nitriding process at 540 °C for 20 h. This process can be an interesting means of enhancing the surface hardness of tool steels to forge dies compared to stamped steels with zinc coating with a reduced coefficient of friction and improving the anti-sticking properties of the tool surface.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Grant VEGA1/0117/15 from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic

    Eva Zdravecká & Ján Slota

  2. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic

    Pavel Solfronk & Michaela Kolnerová

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  1. Eva Zdravecká
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Correspondence to Eva Zdravecká.

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Zdravecká, E., Slota, J., Solfronk, P. et al. Evaluation of the Effect of Different Plasma-Nitriding Parameters on the Properties of Low-Alloy Steel. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 26, 3588–3596 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2787-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2787-3

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