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Surface Modification of Commercial Low-Carbon Steel using Glow Discharge Nitrogen Plasma and its Characterization

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Abstract

Plasma nitriding under glow discharge nitrogen plasma has been undertaken on laboratory scale for surface engineering of commercial low carbon steels. The treatment has been shown to confer exceptional improvement in surface properties, viz., hardness and corrosion resistance. The results have been discussed in light of microstructural changes occurring on steel surface and its interior as a result of Fickian nitrogen diffusion and correlated with influences of nitriding-temperature and alloying elements (Mn, Nb, and Si) in steel.

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Acknowledgment

The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the support and encouragement of the senior management of RDCIS, SAIL for permitting to publish this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. R & D Centre for Iron and Steel (RDCIS), Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Ranchi, 834002, India

    S. Srikanth, P. Saravanan & K. Ravi

  2. Facilitation Centre for Industrial Plasma Technologies (FCIPT), Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, 382044, India

    Alphonsa Joseph

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  1. S. Srikanth
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  2. P. Saravanan
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  3. Alphonsa Joseph
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  4. K. Ravi
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Correspondence to S. Srikanth.

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Srikanth, S., Saravanan, P., Joseph, A. et al. Surface Modification of Commercial Low-Carbon Steel using Glow Discharge Nitrogen Plasma and its Characterization. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 22, 2610–2622 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-013-0533-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-013-0533-z

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