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. 2022 Apr 24;15(9):3081.
doi: 10.3390/ma15093081.

Nitriding of 316L Steel in a Glow Discharge Plasma

Tadeusz Frączek  1 , Rafał Prusak  2 , Marzena Ogórek  2 , Zbigniew Skuza  2
Affiliations

Nitriding of 316L Steel in a Glow Discharge Plasma

Tadeusz Frączek et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

The article presents the results of the research on the nitriding process of 316L austenitic steel and the change in surface properties resulting from this process used in medicine, orthopedics, and in fuel cells. The processes were carried out with the following parameters: time from 5 to 17 h, temperature from 430 °C to 490 °C. The study presents the results of tests of the 316L austenitic steel substrate layer subjected to plasma nitriding of a direct current glow discharge, i.e., in the area isolated from both the cathode and the anode. Additionally, the influence of the active screen on the nitriding process in this area of the direct current discharge was studied. The following tests were carried out: nitrogen diffusion depth test, hardness test, wear resistance test, microstructure analysis, corrosion resistance, and distribution of the element concentration in the surface layer. The research allowed for the conclusion that each variant of nitriding contributed to a change in the examined properties, while the observed scale and nature of the changes were different.

Keywords: active screen method; austenitic steel; ion nitriding; plasma potential.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagram of a modified glow discharge nitriding device with a visible active screen: (a) diagram of the JON-600 furnace, (b) active screen.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of the element concentration in the surface layer on the austenitic 316L steel substrate depending on the location in the glow chamber. Temperature T = 460 °C, time t = 11 h: (a) plasma potential, (b) plasma potential + active screen.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Diffractograms of the nitrided layer on the substrate of 316L steel depending on the depth in the cross-section of the surface layer. Nitriding in plasma potential, T = 490 °C, t = 8 h.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Diffractograms of the nitrided layer on the substrate of 316L steel depending on the depth in the cross-section of the surface layer. Nitriding in plasma potential + active screen, T = 490 °C, t = 8 h.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Models of the structure of surface layers on the 316L steel substrate depending on the location in the glow chamber: (a) plasma potential, (b) plasma potential + active screen.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Microstructure of nitrided layers on the 316L steel substrate, temperature T = 490 °C, time t = 14 h; (a) plasma potential, (b) plasma potential + active screen.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Microstructure of nitrided layers on the 316L steel substrate, temperature T = 490 °C, time t = 14 h; (a) cathode, (b) cathode + active screen.
Figure 8
Figure 8
The diagram of a T-05 tester: (1) nitrided layer, (2) roll, (3) sample holder, (4) sensor for measuring the friction force, (5) load, (6) displacement sensor, (7) thermocouple.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Image of nitrided 316L steel substrate, after potentiodynamic tests: (a) before nitriding, (b) plasma potential, (c) plasma potential + active screen.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Potentiodynamic curves of the tested layers of 316L steel before and after nitriding in different variants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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