• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.215-223
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• 1992

This study has been performed to investigate into some effects of temperature, gas mixing ratio and time on the optical microstructure, hardness and wear characteristics of medium carbon alloy steel treated by plasma nitriding. The results obtained from the experiment are summarized as follows: (1) Optical micrographs of AISI 4140 steel plasma-nitrided by the double stage technique have revealed that the nitrided layer is composed of the compound layer and the diffusion layer. The variation in temperature at the first stage gives effects, on the formation of compound layer and the growth rate is shown to be relatively fast at $460^{\circ}C$. (2) The thickness of compound layer has been found to increase with increasing nitrogen percentage in the gas mixture and the holding time. It is therefore recommended that a shorter holding time and a lower nitrogen percentage are more effective to produce a tougher compound layer and a diffusion layer only. (3) X-ray diffraction analysis for AISI 4140 steel has shown that the compound layer consist of ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4N$ and ${\alpha}-Fe$ and that tough compound layer diffustion layer only can be obtained by the double stage plasmanitriding process. (4) There is also a tendency that the total hardened layer depth increases with increasing temperature, time and nitrogen percentage in the first stage during the double stage plasma nitriding. (5) The wear resistance of plasma nitrided specimens has been found thobe considerably increased compared to the untreated specimens and the amount of increment has appeared to increase further with increasing nitriding temperature, holding time and notrogen percentage of gas mixture in the first stage treatment.

• Journal of the korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.35-46
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• 1982

This paper deals with residual stress characteristics of ion-nitrided metal which is primarilly concerned with the effects of added carbon content in gas atmosphere. A small optimal amount of carbon content in gas atmosphere increase compound layer thickness, as well as to increase diffusion layer thickness and hardness. The residual stress and deflection of the specimens was measured in various elevated temperature at the surface of ion-nitrided metal and the internal stress distribution was calculated. It is found that compressive residual stress at the compound layer is largest at the compound layer, and decreases as the depth from the surface increases.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.128-135
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• 1997

Reaction diffusion and formation of $Ni_3Al$phase with $L1_2$ structure have been studied in temperature range of 1432K to 1573K using the diffusion couple of (Ni-40, 5at%Al)/(Ni-14, 1at%Al) and (Ni-49, 2at%Al)/ (Nickel). The layer growth of Ni$_{3}$Al pyhase in the annealed diffusion couple was measured by optical microscope and electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). The layer growth of $Ni_3Al$phase in diffusion zone obeyed the parabolic law without any indication of grain boundary effects. The layer growth of $Ni_3Al$phase in temperature range of 1423K to 1573K was mainly controlled by the volume diffusion mechanism. The rate of layer growth of $Ni_3Al$phase was found to be colsely related to the composition of intermetallic compound NiAl phase. The activation energy for layer growth of $Ni_3Al$phase was calculated to be 127kJ/mol.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.130-138
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• 1996

It has been investigated that the ion nitriding effects of a STD61 steel in various time conditions of 3 to 9 hours, and the microstructure of compound and diffusion layers of the ion nitrided specimen for 6 hours and subsequently reheated for 1 hour at various temperatures of $400{\sim}800^{\circ}C$ As the nitriding time increased, the thickness of compound and diffusion layers was increased, but the hardness of surface was not considerably increased (Max Hv=1045 at 9hrs). Some of the nitrogen was denitrided out of the surfac and diffused into the core, and also the oxides ($Fe_3O_4$, $Fe_2O_3$) were formed on the surface of the specimen during reheating. The compound layer was partially decomposed at about $600^{\circ}C$ but the diffusion layer was increased up to $800^{\circ}C$. With increasing reheated temperture, the hardness of the surface was decreased, whereas the hardness depth of diffusion layer (0.25mm) was increased up to $600^{\circ}C$ more than that of ion nitrided (0.18mm). The blend-heat treated STD61 steel by ion nitriding is therefore expected to hold on the characteristics of ion nitriding up to $600^{\circ}C$.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.42-52
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• 1997

This paper deals with wear characteristics of ion-nitrided metal theoretically and experimentally in order to analysis of wear phenomena. Wear tests show that compound layer of ion-nitrided metal reduces wear rate when the applied wear load is mall. However, as th load becomes large, the existence of compound layer tends to increase wear rate. The residual stress at the surface of ion-nitrided metal is measured, and the internal stress distribution is calculated when the normal and tangential forces are applied to the surface of metal. Compressive residual stress is largeest at the compound layer, and decreases as the depth from the surface increases. Calculation shows that the maximum stress exists at a certain depth from the surface when normal and tangential force are applied, and that the larger the wear load is the deeper the location of maximum stress becomes. In the analysis, it is found that under small applied wear load the critical depth, where voids and cracks may be created and propagated, is located at the compound layer, as the adhesive wear, where hardness is an important factor, is created the existence of compound layer reduces the amount of wear. When the load becomes large the critical depth is located below the compound layer, and delamination, which may be explained by surface deformation, crack nucleation and propagation, is created, and the existence of compound layer increases wear rate.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.224-230
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• 2000

Garbon steel(SM35C) was gas nitrocarburized at $580^{\circ}C$ in $55%N_2-40%NH_3-5%CO_2$ mixed gas atmosphere, and then the steel was induction hardened at $850^{\circ}C$. The microstructure of gas nitrocarburized surface layer was observed by optical microscope and SEM. The phase analysis was carried out by X-ray diffraction method. The mechanical properties of gas nitrocarburized SM35C steel was evaluated by hardness, wear and fatigue test. The thickness of compound and diffusion layer were increased with increasing the gas nitrocarburizing time and the densest compound layer was obtained at 3 hours gas nitrocarburizing time. In case of 15sec induction hardening after gas nitrocarburizing, the surface hardness was decreased from 800Hv to 630Hv owing to the decomposition of compound layer, but wear resistance was increased because of increased hardness of diffusion layer. The fatigue strength of induction hardened steel after gas nitrocarburizing, $58kgf/mm^2$, was higher than $41.5kg/mm^2$ of gas nitrocarburized steel and $45kg/mm^2$ of induction hardened steel, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.615-620
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• 1996

Chromium-Molybdenum steel was plasma-nitrided at 823 K for 10.8 ks in an atmosphere of 30% $N_2$-70% $H_2$ gas under 665 Pa without and with a subsidiary cathode of $MoS_2$ to compare ion-nitriding and plasma-sulfnitriding using subsidiary cathode. When the steel was ion-nitrided without $MoS_2$, iron nitride layer of 4$\mu\textrm{m}$ and nitrogen diffusion layer of 400mm were formed on the steel. A compound layer of 15$\mu\textrm{m}$ and nitrogen diffusion layer of 400$\mu\textrm{m}$ were formed on the surface of the steel plasma-sulfnitrided with subsidiary cathode of $MoS_2$. The compound layer consisted of FeS containing Mo and iron nitrides. The nitrides of $\varepsilon$-$Fe_2$, $_3N$ and $\gamma$-$Fe_4N$ formed under the FeS. The thicker compound layer was formed by plasma-sulfnitriding than ion-nitriding. In plasma-sulfnitriding, the surface hardness was about 730 Hv. The surface hardness of the steel plasma-sulfnitrided with $MoS_2$ was lower than that of ion-nitrided without $MoS_2$. This may be due to the soft FeS layer formed on the surface of the plasma-sulfnitrided steel.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 1999

Microstructure of Al-Si coated PWA 1426 alloy was studied. Diffusion coated specimens were heat treated for 4hr at $870{\sim}1087^{\circ}C$ and then were examined the changes of microstructure and interfacial compound by optical microscopy, SEM and EDS. According to the result of EDS, it is supposed that the coated layer was composed of $Ni_2Al_3$. When diffusion treatment was conducted at $1087^{\circ}C$, coated layer varied from $Ni_2Al_3$ to NiAl phase and composed of mixed, denuded and inter-diffusion layer.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.107-115
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• 2021

Al-Si coated boron steel has been widely used as commercial hot stamping steel. When the steel is heated at 900~930℃ for 5 min in an electric furnace, thickness of the coating layer increases as a consequence of formation of intermetallic compounds and diffusion layer. The diffusion layer plays an important roll in blunting the propagation of crack from coating layer to base steel. Change in microstructure and coating layer of Al-Si coated boron steel after conductive heating with higher heating rate than electric furnace has been investigated in this study. Conductive-heated steel showed the martensitic structure with vickers hardness of 505~567. Both intermetallic compounds in coating layer and diffusion layer were not observed in conductive-heated steel due to rapid heating. It has been found that the conductive-heating consisting of rapid heating to 550℃ which is lower than melting point of Al-Si coating layer, slower heating to 900℃, and then 1 min holding at 900℃ is effective in forming intermetallic compound in coating layer and diffusion layer.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 1983

This paper deals with hardness and wear characteristics of ion-nitrided metal, and with ion-nitride processing which is concerned with the effects of added carbon content in gas atmosphere. A small optimal amount of carbon content in gas atmosphere increase compound layer thickness, as well as to increase diffusion layer thickness and hardness, and reduces wear rate when the applied wear load is small. It is found in the analysis that under small applied wear load, the critical depth where voids and cracks may be created and propagated is located at the compound layer, so that the abrasive wear where hardness is an important factor, is created and the existence of compound layer reduces the amount of wear. When the load becomes large, the critical depth is located below nucleation and propagation, is created and the existence of compound layer increase wear rate.