Abstract
The characteristics of corrosion resistance for the surface of medium high carbon steels and low alloy steels utilizing as manufacturing the machinery structures and machining tools and treating by plasma/ion nitriding process have been studied in terms of electrochemical polarization behav-iors including corrosion potential(Ecorr) anodic polarization trends and polarization resistance(Rp) The seven base materials showed a clear passivation behavior for the polarization tests in the ASTM standard solution 1N ${H_2){SO_4}$ Although the treated surface by plasma nitriding for the seven test materials showed a significant increase in hardness the treatment gave a detri-mental effect in corrosion resistance. The various characteristics including corrosion potential polarization curves microstructures corrosion current polarization resistance among non-treat-ed nitriding and/or soft-nitriding treated specimens have been investigated and some of the mechanisms discussed.