초록
This study was carried out to investigate the surface characteristics of SCM440 steel nitrided with various nitrogen contents for 7 hours at $520^{\circ}C$ by using micro-pulse plasma nitriding apparatus of hot wall type. The effects of oxidation treatment was also investigated on plasma nitrided in 30% nitrogen and post oxidized SCM440 steel at $500^{\circ}C$ in $H_2O$ atmosphere. The ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4N$ and ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}N$ phases were detected in compound layer of the nitrided steel. As the content of nitrogen in plasma gas increased with 30, 50, 70% on the micro-pulse plasma nitriding for SCM440 steel, the thickness of compound, diffusion layer and the surface hardness were increased. From the wear test results, the best wear resistance was appeared in the condition of ductile ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4N$ phase formed specimen at 30% nitrogen, whereas that of the treated with 50% and 70% nitrogen decreased owing to the exfoliation of brittle ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}N$ phase in the compound layer. On the nitrided and subsequently oxidized SCM440 steel, the surface layer consisted of $Fe_3O_4$, ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4N$, and ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}N$ phases. In these treatments, the dissolution of nitrides affect hardness and hardening depth in compound and diffusion layers. For the nitrided in 30% nitrogen and post oxidized specimen at $500^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour, the wear resistance was lower than that of the only nitrided one in 30% nitrogen but higher than those of the nitrided ones in 50 and 70% nitrogen.
