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Modification of Low-Alloy Steel Surface by High-Temperature Gas Nitriding Plus Tempering

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Abstract

The low-alloy steel was nitrided in a pure NH3 gas atmosphere at 640 ~ 660 °C for 2 h, i.e., high-temperature gas nitriding (HTGN), followed by tempering at 225 °C, which can produce a high property surface coating without brittle compound (white) layer. The steel was also plasma nitriding for comparison. The composition, microstructure and microhardness of the nitrided and tempered specimens were examined, and their tribological behavior investigated. The results showed that the as-gas-nitrided layer consisted of a white layer composed of FeN0.095 phase (nitrided austenite) and a diffusional zone underneath the white layer. After tempering, the white layer was decomposed to a nano-sized (α-Fe + γ′-Fe4N + retained austenite) bainitic microstructure with a high hardness of 1150HV/25 g. Wear test results showed that the wear resistance and wear coefficient yielded by the complex HTGN plus tempering were considerably higher and lower, respectively, than those produced by the conventional plasma nitriding.

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Acknowledgments

This project was financially supported by the National Natural Science Fund of China (51001049, 51271079), the Guangdong Natural Science Fund (2016A030313450, 2015A030313223) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2013ZM033, 2015ZM065).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China

    Dongling Jiao, Minsong Li, Wanqi Qiu & Chengping Luo

  2. Shunde Polytechnic, Foshan, 528300, China

    Hongzhen Ding

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  1. Dongling Jiao
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  2. Minsong Li
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  3. Hongzhen Ding
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  4. Wanqi Qiu
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  5. Chengping Luo
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Correspondence to Dongling Jiao.

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Jiao, D., Li, M., Ding, H. et al. Modification of Low-Alloy Steel Surface by High-Temperature Gas Nitriding Plus Tempering. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 27, 361–367 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-018-3141-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-018-3141-0

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