Abstract
Plasma Nitriding treatment was performed on STS 204Cu stainless steel samples at a temperature of $400^{\circ}C$ for 15 hours with varying $N_2$ content as 10%, 15% and 25%. Regardless of the content of $N_2$, S-Phase which is a hardened layer of Nitrogen (N) supersaturated phase, was formed in the surface of plasma treated samples. When $N_2$ content was 25%, the thickness of the hardened layer reached up to about $7{\mu}m$ and the surface hardness reached a value of $560Hv_{0.05}$, which is about 2.5 times higher than that of untreated sample (as received $220Hv_{0.05}$). From potentiodynamic polarization test, it was observed that compared to as received sample, the corrosion potential and the corrosion current density of the plasma treated samples were decreased regardless of the $N_2$ content, but the corrosion resistance was not increased much due to the precipitation of $Cr_2N$. On the other hand, pitting potential of the samples treated with 10% and 15% $N_2$ was higher than that of as received sample, however, the samples treated with 25% exhibited a lower pitting potential. Therefore, 10% $N_2$ content was selected as optimum plasma nitriding condition and to further increase both the thickness and surface hardness and the corrosion resistance of the hardened layer, different $CH_4$ content such as 1%, 3% and 5% was introduced into the plasma nitriding atmosphere. With 1% $CH_4$, the thickness of the hardened layer reached up to about $11{\mu}m$ and the surface hardness was measured as about $620Hv_{0.05}$, which is about 2.8 times that of as received sample. And the corrosion resistance of the plasma treated sample by using 1% $CH_4$ was improved significantly due to much higher pitting potential, and lower corrosion current density. When the $CH_4$ content was more than 1%, the thickness and surface hardness of the hardened layer decreased slightly and the corrosion resistance also decreased.
