Rapid Salt Bath Nitriding of Steel AISI 1045

详细

Carbon steel AISI 1045 (0.45% C) is studied as a model material for rapid nitriding in a salt bath at 660°C (instead of the conventional 560°C). The methods of optical microscopy, x-ray diffraction and measurement of microhardness and corrosion resistance are used to study the microstructure and the phase composition of the nitrided layer. It is shown that salt bath nitriding shortens the process considerably and raises its efficiency; the microhardness and the corrosion resistance grow and the nitride layer acquires a γ′-Fe₄N phase.