Modification of steel surface by plasma electrolytic saturation with nitrogen and carbon

• Aqueous solution (12.5% NH4Cl, 5% ammonia, 5% acetone) is proposed for PEN/C steels.
• Microhardness of steel (0.2% C) is 930 HV due to PEN/C for 5–10 min at 800 °C.
• Anode PEN/C of low carbon steel decreases its roughness (Ra) from 1.013 to 0.054 μm.
• Anode PEN/C decreases friction coefficient of low carbon steel from 0.191 to 0.169
• Anode PEN/C decreases wear loss of low carbon steel from 13.5 mg to 1.0 mg.

The effect of the electrolyte composition with ammonia, acetone, and ammonium chloride on the structure and properties of low carbon steel was studied in anode plasma electrolytic nitrocarburising. An X-ray diffractometer, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and an optical microscope were used to characterize the phase composition of the modified layer and its surface morphology. Surface roughness was studied with a profilometer–profilograph. The hardness of the treated and untreated samples was measured using a microhardness tester. The sources of nitrogen and carbon are shown to be the products of evaporation and thermal decomposition of the electrolyte components. It is established that the influence of concentration of ammonia, acetone, and ammonium chloride on the size of the structural components of the hardened layer is explained by the competition of the anode dissolution, high-temperature oxidation and diffusion of the saturating component. The electrolyte composition (10–12.5% ammonium chloride, 5% acetone, 5% ammonia) and processing mode (800 °C, 5–10 min) of low carbon steels allowing to obtain the hardened surface layer up to 0.2 mm with microhardness 930 HV and with decrease in the roughness (Ra) from 1.013 to 0.054 μm are proposed. The anode plasma electrolytic nitricarburising is able to decrease friction coefficient of the treated low carbon steel from 0.191 to 0.169 and wear rate from 13.5 mg to 1.0 mg.

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