• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.258-267
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• 1998

For the purpose of investigating the growth characteristics and composition of nitrides, gas nitridings of the austenitic stainless steel, STR 36 heat resisting steel and martensitic stainless steel are investigated at the temperature ranges between $500^{\circ}C$ and $675^{\circ}C$ for 5hours under the $75%NH_3+5%CO_2+20%$Air gas atmosphere. When gas nitriding the austentic stainless steel and STR 36 heat resisting alloy, the abnormal growth behavior of compound layer deviating from the conventional diffusion law with increasing temperature appears, while the compound layer of martensitic stainless steel shows the normal diffusional growth behavior. From the examination of microstructure, X-ray diffraction and hardness test, it is concluded that the abnormal growth behavior of compound layer with increasing temperature induces from the formation and dissolution of CrN and ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4N$ at the nitriding temperature ranges of $600{\sim}650^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.318-327
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• 1994

According to conventional nitriding of tool steels, it was very difficult to produce a high surface hardness. This study has been conducted to investigate the influence of initial structures on the nitriding characteristics of tool steels in gas-nitrided for the improvement in surface hardness. The specimens (SACM645, STD61 steels) have been quenching and tempering at various temperature and then gas-nitrided for 30, 45 and 60hr at 500, 530 and $550^{\circ}C$ respectively in gasatmosphere of 30%$NH_3-70%N_2$ As hardness of initial structure was higher, the nitriding layer was deeper and hardness of the nitriding layer was higher. Deeper nitriding layers was due to higher diffusion rate by fine initial microstructure. Also the reason of high surface hardness was associated with formation of dispersed fine carbonitrides of nitrides.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.116-121
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• 2009

The 2-step low temperature plasma processes (the combined carburizing and post-nitriding) offer the increase of both surface hardness and thickness of hardened layer and corrosion resistance than the individually processed low temperature nitriding and low temperature carburizing techniques. The 2-step low temperature plasma processes were carried out for improving both the surface hardness and corrosion resistance of AISI 316L stainless steel. The influence of gas compositions on the surface properties during nitriding step were investigated. The expanded austenite (${\gamma}_N$) was formed on all of the treated surface. The thickness of ${\gamma}_N$ and concentration of N on the surface increased with increasing both nitrogen gas and Ar gas levels in the atmosphere. The thickness of ${\gamma}_N$ increased up to about $20{\mu}m$ and the thickness of entire hardened layer was determined to be about $40{\mu}m$. The surface hardness was independent of nitrogen and Ar gas contents and reached up to about 1200 $HV_{0.1}$ which is about 5 times higher than that of untreated sample (250 $HV_{0.1}$). The corrosion resistance in 2-step low temperature plasma processed austenitic stainless steels was also much enhanced than that in the untreated austenitic stainless steels due to a high concentration of N on the surface.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.46 no.11
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• pp.708-712
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• 2008

The influence of high temperature gas nitriding (HTGN) in STS347 and STS310S steels was experimentally investigated. The HTGN was carried out at $1,050^{\circ}C{\sim}1,150^{\circ}C$ for 10 hrs in a gaseous atmosphere containing $1kg/mm^2$ of nitrogen. After HTGN, fine precipitates of $Cr_2N$ and NbN appeared in austenite on the surface of STS 347, while nitrogen pearlite, which was layeredof $Cr_2N$ and austenite alternatively, appeared in austenite on the surface of STS 310S. The surface hardness of HTGN-treated, STS 347 and STS 310S specimens was 250~360 Hv and 270~400 Hv, respectively, depending on the temperature of HTGN. The nitrogen content was analyzed 1.4 wt% and 1.6 wt% at the surface layer of STS 347 and STS 310S steels, respectively. In addition, an improvement in the corrosion resistance of HTGN treated specimens was observed.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.237-242
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• 2007

Friction coefficient of SM45C steel was surprisingly reduced with $H_2S$ and $C_3H_8$ gas during plasma sulf-nitriding. During the plasma sulf-nitriding, 100-700 sccm of $H_2S$ gas and 100 sccm of $C_3H_8$ gas were added and working pressure and temperature were 2 torr, $500-550^{\circ}C$, respectively. As $H_2S$ gas amount increased over 500 sccm, flake-like structures were developed on top of the nitriding layer and grain size of the nitriding layer were about 100 nm. The friction coefficient for the sample treated plasma sulf-nitriding under $N_2-H_2S$ gas was 0.4 - 0.5. The structure became more finer and amorphous-like along with $N_2-H_2S-C_3H_8$ gas and the nano-sized surface microstructures resulted in high hardness and significantly low friction coefficient of 0.2.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.105-112
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• 2013

The microstructural changes of Fe-20Mn-12Cr-1Cu alloy have been studied during high temperature gas nitriding (HTGN) at the range of $1000^{\circ}C{\sim}1150^{\circ}C$ in an atmosphere of nitrogen gas. The mixed microstructure of austenite and ${\varepsilon}$-martensite of as-received alloy was changed to austenite single phase after HTGN treatment at the nitrogen-permeated surface layer, however the interior region that was not affected nitrogen permeation remained the structure of austenite and ${\varepsilon}$-martensite. With raising the HTGN treatment temperature, the concentration and permeation depth of nitrogen, which is known as the austenite stabilizing element, were increased. Accordingly, the depth of austenite single phase region was increased. The outmost surface of HTGN treated alloy at $1000^{\circ}C$ appeared Cr nitride. And this was in good agreement with the thermodynamically calculated phase diagram. The grain growth was delayed after HTGN treatment temperature ranges of $1000^{\circ}C{\sim}1100^{\circ}C$ due to the grain boundary precipitates. For the HTGN treatment temperature of $1150^{\circ}C$, the fine grain region was shown at the near surface due to the grain boundary precipitates, however, owing to the depletion of grain boundary precipitates, coarse grain was appeared at the depth far from the surface. This depletion may come from the strong affinity between nitrogen and substitutional element of Al and Ti leading the diffusion of these elements from interior to surface. Because of the nitrogen dissolution at the nitrogen-permeated surface layer by HTGN treatment, the surface hardness was increased above 150 Hv compared to the interior region that was consisted with the mixed microstructure of austenite and ${\varepsilon}$-martensite.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2014

This study is to investigate the phase changes and cold workability after isothermal transformation at $780^{\circ}C$ by using the high temperature gas nitrided (HTGN) STS 430 ferritic stainless steel specimens. The phase diagram of STS 430 steel obtained by calculation showed that the phase appeared at $1100^{\circ}C$ showed as ${\alpha}+{\gamma}{\rightarrow}{\gamma}{\rightarrow}{\gamma}+Cr_2N{\rightarrow}{\gamma}+Cr_2N+CrN$ with increasing nitrogen concentration. Also, the transformation of ${\gamma}{\rightarrow}Cr_2N$ during heat treatment isothermally at $780^{\circ}C$, nitrogen pearlite with lamellar type was fully formed at the nitrogen permated surface layer for 10 hrs. However, this transformation was not completed for 1 hr, resulting nitrogen pearlite plus martensite. The cold rolled specimen of isothermally transformed at $780^{\circ}C$ for 10 hrs after high temperature gas nitriding decreased the layer thickness of nitrogen pearlite inducing the deformation of hard $Cr_2N$ phase. the dissolution rate of $Cr_2N$ phase increased rapidly with increasing cold rolling ratio. Specimens with the microstructure of nitrogen pearlite (isothermally transformed at $780^{\circ}C$ for 10 hrs) were possible to cold rolling without crack formation. However, the mixed structures of nitrogen pearlite + martensite (isothermally transformed at $780^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr) were impossible to cold deformation without cracking.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.88-94
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• 2009

The effect of high temperature gas nitrding (HTGN) on the surface microstructure in pure Ti was investigated. Two phases of TiN and $Ti_2N$ appeared at the outmost surface, and the wide ${\alpha}$-Ti layer was formed at the next layer. On the other hand, the interior region, where the nitrogen was not permeated, exhibited ${\alpha}$'phase. The outmost surface of TiN and $Ti_2N$ showed the maximum hardness of 1000Hv, while the interior ${\alpha}$'phase was ${\sim}350$ Hv. The permeation depth of nitrogen increased with increasing the gas nitriding temperature and time. The nitrogen concentration of the surface layer seems to be over 12.7% at $1100^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.323-328
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• 2007

This study has been investigated the effect of high temperature gas nitriding (HTGN) heat treatment of STS 444 (18Cr-0.01Ni-0.01C-0.2Nb) ferritic stainless steel in an atmosphere of nitrogen gas at the temperature range between $1050^{\circ}C\;and\;1150^{\circ}C$. The surface layer was changed into martensite and austenite with the nitrides of NbCrN by HTGN treatment. Due to the precipitation of nitrides and matrensite formation, the hardness of the surface layer showed $400Hv{\sim}530Hv$. The nitrogen concentration of the surface layer appeared as 0.05%, 0.12% and 0.92%, respectively, at $1050^{\circ}C,\;1100^{\circ}C\;and\;1150^{\circ}C$. When the nitrogen is permeated from surface to interior, Nb and Cr, which have strong affinities with nitrogen, also move from interior to surface. Therefore it is considered that this counter-current of atoms promotes the formation of NbCrN at the surface layer.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.315-323
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• 1998

This study has been conducted to develope the combined heat treating technique of gas carburising - gas nitriding and gas carburising to improve the hot working performance of type H3 hot work tool steel. Case depth and carbrides coarsening were increased with increasing carburising temperature and time, respectively. Surface hardness showed decreasing tendency with increasing 2nd tempering temperature after carburising treatment. After carburising, 2nd treatment at 500 to 600 was chosen according to a hardness demand of final product. High temperature tempering resistance showed more excellent quality during such carburising-nitriding or carburising than complex treatment as after conventional hardening.