• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.289-301
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• 1995

The effect of Air/$C_3H_8$ gas addition on the compound layer growth of steels nitrocarburised in $NH_3+Air+C_3H_8$ mixed gas atmospheres was investigated. It is considered that amount of residual $NH_3$ was varied according to alternation of Air/$C_3H_8$ mixing ratio and volume content. The compound layer formed from nitrocarburising was composed of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}$(C, N) and ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4$(C, N). According as Air/$C_3H_8$ mixing ratio increased, the superficial content of ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4$(C, N) within the compound layer was increased, at the same time the growth rate of compound layer and porous layer was increased. In the case of alloy steel at the fixed gas composition, the growth rate of compound layer and porous layer was worse than carbon steel and compound layer phase composition structure primarily consisted of E phase. As the carbon content of materials was increasing in the given gas atmospheres, the growth rate of compound layer and porous layer was increased and the superficial content of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}$(C, N) within the compound layer was increased.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.206-218
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• 1994

In 50%$NH_3+Air+N_2$ atmospheres, the effect of air additions on the growth characteristics of the compound layer during oxynitriding at $570^{\circ}C$ for 2hr in carbon and alloy steels has been investigated. The ammount of apparent residual ammonia during oxynitriding has shown to be increased with air additions(9~36 Vol. %) and X-ray diffraction analysis of case oxynitreded has shown that the compound layer consist of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}$(N, C) phase and ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4$(N,C) phase. In the case of carbon steels, the thickness of oxide layer, compound layer and porous layer and the amount of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}$(N,C) phase in the compound layer were increased with additions of air in 50%$NH_3+N_2$ atmospheres. At the same gas composition, the thickenss of oxide layer, compound layer and porous layer in alloy steels showed slightly thin layer thickness compared to those of carbon steels and the ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4$(N,C) phase in the compound layer of alloy steels was found barely. Therefore, the most obvious effect of air addition in the gas nitriding atmosphere has been found to in crease further kinetics of nitriding reaction.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.143-150
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• 2000

Ferritic plasma nitrocarburising was performed on pure iron using a modified DC plasma unit. This investigation was carried out with various gas compositions which consisted of nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases, and various gas pressures for 3 hours at $570^{\circ}C$. After treatment, the different cooling rates(slow cooling and fast cooling) were used to investigate its effect on the structure of the compound layer. The ${\varepsilon}$ phase occupied the outer part of the compound layer and ${\gamma}^{\prime}$ phase existed between the ${\varepsilon}$ phase and the diffusion zone. The gas composition of the atmosphere influenced the constitution of the compound layer produced, i.e. high nitrogen contents were essential for the production of ${\varepsilon}$ phase compound layer. It was found that with increasing carbon content in the gas mixture the compound layer thickness increased up to 10%. In the gas pressure around 3 mbar, the compound layer characteristics were slightly effected by gas pressure. However, in the low gas pressure and high gas pressure, the compound layer characteristics were significantly changed. The constitution of the compound layer was altered by varying the cooling rate. A large amount of ${\gamma}^{\prime}$ phase was transformed from the ${\varepsilon}$ phase during slow cooling.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.96-104
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• 1997

This paper was focused on the wear characteristics of ion-nitrided metal and with ion-nitride processing, which is basically concerned with the effects of carbon content in workpiece and added carbon content gas atmosphere on the best wear performance. Increased carbon content in workpiece increases compound layer thickness, but decreases diffusion layer thickness. On the other hand, a small optimal amount of carbon content in gas atmosphere increase compound layer thickness as well as diffusion layer thickness and hardness. Wear tests show that the compound layer of ion-nitrided metal reduces wear rate when the applied wear load is small. However, as the load becomes large, the existence of compound layer tends to increase wear rate. Compressive residual stress at the compound layer is the largest at the compound layer, and decreases as the depth from the surface increases. It is found in the analysis that under small applied load, the critical depth where voids and cracks may be created and propagated is located at the compound layer, so that the adhesive wear is created and the existence of compound layer reduces the amount of wear. When the load becomes large, the critical depth is located below the compound layer and delamination, which may explained by surface deformation, crack nucleation and propagation, is created and the existence of compound layer increases wear rate. For the compound layer, at added carbon contents of 0 percent and 0.5 at. percent, the $\varepsilon$ monophase is predominant. But at 0.7 at. percent added carbon, the $\varepsilon$ monophase formation tends to be severely inhibited and r' and $Fe_3C$ polyphase formation becomes dominant. This increased hard $\varepsilon$ phase layer was observed to be more beneficial in reducing friction and wear.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.42-52
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• 1997

This paper deals with wear characteristics of ion-nitrided metal theoretically and experimentally in order to analysis of wear phenomena. Wear tests show that compound layer of ion-nitrided metal reduces wear rate when the applied wear load is mall. However, as th load becomes large, the existence of compound layer tends to increase wear rate. The residual stress at the surface of ion-nitrided metal is measured, and the internal stress distribution is calculated when the normal and tangential forces are applied to the surface of metal. Compressive residual stress is largeest at the compound layer, and decreases as the depth from the surface increases. Calculation shows that the maximum stress exists at a certain depth from the surface when normal and tangential force are applied, and that the larger the wear load is the deeper the location of maximum stress becomes. In the analysis, it is found that under small applied wear load the critical depth, where voids and cracks may be created and propagated, is located at the compound layer, as the adhesive wear, where hardness is an important factor, is created the existence of compound layer reduces the amount of wear. When the load becomes large the critical depth is located below the compound layer, and delamination, which may be explained by surface deformation, crack nucleation and propagation, is created, and the existence of compound layer increases wear rate.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 1992

It is investigated that Fe-C-N compound layer, defusion layer, and induction hardened layer produced by nitrocarburizing blend heat treatment in austenitic temperature with high frequency induction heating of mild steel specimen sprayed sursulf salt-bath. As the temperature of blend-heat treatment got increased, the thickness and hardness of compound layer and diffusion layer were increased. Compound layer(max. $35{\mu}m$), diffusion layer (max. 2.5mm) and induction hardened layer were gained in the shortest time 10 sec and in the case of $1000^{\circ}C$ total hardness depth of those was about 3.5mm. When the blend-heat treated specimen was reheated, maximum hardness of compound layer was dropped more than that of the reheated compound layer after sursulf treated, whereas hardness of diffusion layer was increased.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 1988

This study has been carried out to evaluate gaseous nitrocarburizing treatment undertaken for pure iron at $570^{\circ}C$ in an atmosphere containing 50% endothermic gas, generated from natural gas, and 50% ammonia. The results obtained from the experiment are as follows ; 1) The microstructure of gaseous nitrocarburized pure iron consists of the compound layer on the surface and the diffusion zone beneath it. The compound layer progresses uniformly into ferrite with a thickness of $20{\mu}$ obtained after treating for 3 hours. 2) Chemical analysis has shown that the compound layer has a C/N ratio of 0.19 and that the average combined interstitial content of the compound layer is about 30 atomic percent, which is close to the lower limit of the ${\varepsilon}$-carbonitride phase field in Fe-C-N phase diagram. 3) X-ray diffraction analysis has revealed that the compound layer consists mainly of the c.p.h. phase, ${\varepsilon}-Fe_3$(C.N) and a small amount of $Fe_4N$ and traces of ferrite are also present in the compound layer. 4) The microhardness of the compound layer is about 600 V.H.N and shows a relatively sharp fall-off at the compound layer/diffusion zome interface. 5) The average actual degree of ammonia dissociation is calculated to be 27% for a gaseous nitrocarburizing treatment carried out at $570^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.427-430
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• 2002

Plasma nitrocarburizing treatment was performed for SCM 435 steel by using a plasma ion nitriding system. The effects of the variation of nitrogen and methan contents upon the hardened layer was investigated. Both the thickness of the compound layer and the amount of $\varepsilon$ phase in the compound layer increased with increasing nitrogen content. However, the thickness of the compound layer decreased due to unstable plasma for an atmosphere containing 90% $N_2$ gas content in the gas mixture. The amount of $\varepsilon$phase in the compound layer increased with increasing $CH_4$ gas content. For $CH_4$ gas content more than 2% in the gas mixture, the thickness of the compound layer decreased due to the formation of $\theta$ phase.

• 연구논문집
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• s.25
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• pp.175-184
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• 1995

Mechanical properties of the gas nitrocarburized product depend on the surface compound layer and the diffusion zone formed. The compound layer improves the wear resistance, and the corrosion resistance. Though phase composition, pore layer and growth rate of the compound layer varies according to the treatment time, temperature and the kind of the steel substrate, they are strongly influenced by the environmental gas composition. In the current study, the growth behavior of the compound layer and diffusion zone of the carbon steel and the alloy steel upon nitrocarburizing treatment at $570^{\circ}C$, and the phase composition and the variation in the growth rate of the compound layer according to the variation of the gas environment which was the medium of the nitriding and carburizing reaction were investigated.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.142-147
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• 1998

Rotary bending fatigue tests were carried out on the nitrided titanium in order to investigate the effect of nitriding layer on fatigue limit. Main results obtained are as follows. (1) The fatigue limit of nitrided pure titanium is remarkably reduced because of enlargement of grain size at high heat treating temperature and high stress field created from the elastic interaction in the compound layer. (2) Further test using specimen which was removed nitrified layer gradually, were also conducted and it was found that by removing the compound layer the fatigue limit recovered as the level of basic material and rather increased by coming of a diffusion layer. Therefore it is concluded that the surface compound layer generated by nitriding treatment reduced the fatigue limit but diffusion layer increased it.