Nitriding of 6061T6 aluminium by plasma immersion ion implantation at low energy

It is not easy, in general, to improve the mechanical properties of aluminium alloys by traditional nitriding methods. By contrast, plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) has been successfully used for hardening and in wear resistance improvement. The present work sets out to investigate the formation of AlN on 6061T6 aluminium samples by the PIII process at low energy (2–6 keV) with ion doses in the order of 1018 ions/cm2 and from nitrogen–argon mixtures at different concentrations (N70–Ar30, N50–Ar50 and N30–Ar70) maintained at ∼400 °C sample temperatures. The outcome was evaluated by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, Vickers microhardness tests and profilometry.