Rotating bending fatigue properties of two case hardening steels after nitriding treatment

Fatigue properties of two Al-containing steels have been investigated by rotating bending fatigue tests. Results show that the fatigue limits (the fatigue strength at 107 cycles) were improved remarkably by plasma nitriding due to the high hardness of 1000 Hv and compressive stress of 400 MPa in the nitrided layer. Scanning electron microscopic observations show that after nitriding the fatigue crack initiation sites moved from the surface flaws or near-surface matrix into the AlN inclusions at around the case-core interface. Degassing treatment can increase the fatigue limit because it prevented fatigue crack initiation at AlN inclusions due to the reduced [N] contents and refined inclusion size.

► Rotating bending fatigue tests have been conducted for Al-containing nitrided steels.
► Nitriding can remarkably increase the fatigue limits of the steels.
► After nitriding, the crack initiation sites have moved from the surface into subsurface.
► The steel with a lower [N] content has a higher fatigue limit.