Improving electrochemical properties of AISI 1045 steels by duplex surface treatment of plasma nitriding and aluminizing

Improvement in electrochemical behavior of AISI 1045 steel after applying aluminum nitride coating was investigated in 3.5% NaCl solution, using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses. Aluminum nitride coating was applied on the steel surface by duplex treatment of pack aluminizing and plasma nitriding. Some specimens were plasma nitrided followed by aluminizing (PN-Al), while the others were pack aluminized followed by plasma nitriding (Al-PN). Topological and structural studies of the modified surfaces were conducted using scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS), and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The electrochemical measurements showed that the highest corrosion and polarization (Rp) resistances were obtained in PN-Al specimens, having single phase superficial layer of AlN. Pitting mechanism was dominant reason of lower corrosion resistance in the Al-PN specimens.