Low temperature nitriding of AISI 300 and 200 series austenitic stainless steels

• Stainless steel composition influences the characteristics of nitrided layers.
• The modified layers of all the tested steels have a double layer microstructure.
• S phase allows to have comparable corrosion behaviour in the tested steels.
• Tendency to form shear bands and hcp martensite is AISI 316L < AISI 304L < AISI 202.
• Tendency to form nitrides is AISI 316L < AISI 304L < AISI 202.

In this study the effects of low temperature plasma nitriding on the characteristics of different austenitic stainless steels, CrNi-based (AISI 304L and AISI 316L) and CrMn-based (AISI 202), were compared. Samples were nitrided at 400 and 430 °C, at 1000 Pa for 5 h, and their microstructure, phase composition, microhardness and corrosion resistance were evaluated. The characteristics of modified surface layers depended on both treatment parameters and alloy composition. For all the steels modified surface layers had a double layer microstructure. In the outer modified layer, mainly consisting of S phase, deformation (or shear) bands were observed in the grains, and nitrogen induced h.c.p. martensite, ε′N, formed. The tendency to form shear bands and ε′N was higher for AISI 202 samples, and decreased for AISI 304L and then for AISI 316L ones, influencing the modified layer thickness. When nitriding was performed at 430 °C, nitrides formed, and their amount was affected by steel composition. Nitriding treatments allowed to markedly increase surface microhardness and corrosion resistance, in comparison with the untreated alloys. When nitrides did not form, as for the 400-°C nitrided samples, the corrosion behaviour of the considered steels was comparable. Nitride precipitation affected corrosion resistance, increasing corrosion phenomena.