Abstract
In order to plasma-sulfnitride by combining ion-nitriding of a steel and sputtering of MoS$_2$, chromium-molybdenum steel was plasma-sulfritrided using hollow cathode discharge with parallel electrodes which are a main of the steel and a subsidiary cathode of $MoS_2$. The treatment was carried out at 823K for 10.8ks under 665Pa in a 30% $N_2$-70% $H_2$ gas atmosphere. Plasma-sulfnitriding layers formed of the steel were characterized with EDX, XRD, micrographic structure observation and hardness measurement. A compound layer of 8-15$\mu\textrm{m}$ and nitrogen diffusion layer of about 400$\mu\textrm{m}$ were formed on the surface of plasma-sulfnitrided steel. The compound layer consisted of FeS containing Mo and iron nitrides. The nitrides of $\varepsilon$-$Fe_2_3N$ and $\gamma$'-$Fe_4N$ formed under the FeS. The thickness of compound layer and surface hardness were different with the gaps between main and subsidiary cathodes even in the same sulfnitriding temperature. The surface hardnesses after plasma-sulfnitriding were distributed from 640 to 830Hv. The surface hardness was higher in the plasma-sulfnitriding than the usual sulfnitriding in molten salt. This may be due to Mo in sulfnitriding layer.