THE INFLUENCE OF SALT BATH NITRIDING VARIABLES ON HARDNESS LAYER OF AISI 1045 STEEL
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Date
2016-09-27
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Publisher
Acta Metallurgica Slovaca,
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to study and analyze the effects of a surface controlled salt bath nitriding
on the microhardness of AISI 1045 steel. The nitriding process was implemented in the salt bath
component at ten different times (from 1 h to 10 h) when the temperature was constant at
(520ºC). The nitriding process repeated of other specimens at the same times, but the
temperature was (580ºC).The microstructure of the surface layers was investigated by scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy. Hardness profiles were measured with lowload hardness testing to determine the growth of the case depth after nitriding. Microhardness
testing was carried out on samples to investigate the hardness profile at the transition from the
compound to the diffusion layer. The microhardness of the surface of the nitrided sample at
520ºC and 580ºC was observed in the range of 318–430 HV0.3 and 329–421 HV0.3,
respectively. Experimental results showed that the nitrides ε-Fe2-3(N, C) and γ’-Fe4(N,C)
present in the compound layer increase the microhardness , It also showed that the Increasing
the salt bath nitriding parameters (treatment time and temperature) increases the surface
hardness and hardness profile.
Description
The aim of this paper is to study and analyze the effects of a surface controlled salt bath nitriding
on the microhardness of AISI 1045 steel. The nitriding process was implemented in the salt bath
component at ten different times (from 1 h to 10 h) when the temperature was constant at
(520ºC). The nitriding process repeated of other specimens at the same times, but the
temperature was (580ºC).The microstructure of the surface layers was investigated by scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy. Hardness profiles were measured with lowload hardness testing to determine the growth of the case depth after nitriding. Microhardness
testing was carried out on samples to investigate the hardness profile at the transition from the
compound to the diffusion layer. The microhardness of the surface of the nitrided sample at
520ºC and 580ºC was observed in the range of 318–430 HV0.3 and 329–421 HV0.3,
respectively. Experimental results showed that the nitrides ε-Fe2-3(N, C) and γ’-Fe4(N,C)
present in the compound layer increase the microhardness , It also showed that the Increasing
the salt bath nitriding parameters (treatment time and temperature) increases the surface
hardness and hardness profile.