The results of obtaining borated layers on 15H11MF high-alloy steel under equilibrium and non-equilibrium heating conditions are presented. Equilibrium conditions were achieved by slow furnace heating (with a heating rate of 0.1 oC/s), non-equilibrium – by induction heating (with a heating rate of 100 oC/s). The heating was controlled by measuring the thermoelectric power by a thermocouple welded to the surface of the sample by electric contact welding. The signal from the thermocouple was digitized by the ADC and transmitted to a computer where, at high speed, an array of data of temperature-time dependence of the process was formed. Furnace heating was carried out in a laboratory electric furnace at 1130 оС ± 5 оС, 1150 оС ± 5 оС and 1160 оС ± 5 оС. Induction heating was carried out to temperatures of 1180 oC ± 20oC, 1200 oC ± 20oC, 1220 oC ± 20oC. The possibility of significant reduction of the treatment process from 3 hours to 2 minutes due to the intensifying action in non-equilibrium conditions of structure formation is shown. Boron saturation came from the paste. Saturating paste consisted of 60% boron carbide, 30% NaF, 10% CaF2. The method of metallographic research shows not only the morphological differences of the obtained surface layers, but also established the predominant mechanism of boron diffusion into high-alloy martensitic steel. During furnace heating (1150оС), a solid boron with a thickness of up to 50 μm and a hardness of 15100 MPa is formed. At a depth of up to 150 μm, grain boundary diffusion is noticeable, which obviously dominates in the processes of boron saturation of high-alloy steels. At temperatures of 1160 oC and furnace heating under a solid layer of boride with a thickness of 110 μm, a two-phase zone is formed, which consists of boride and a solid solution with a thickness of 70 μm. This layer is more defective. Induction heating with boron saturation forms a thick (up to 200 μm) layer of coarse boride crystallites (18900 – 9270 MPa) with an eutectic structure (6440 MPa), which becomes coarser with increasing temperature from 1180 to 1220 оС. The ability to obtain solid hardened layers in a short treatment time makes boron saturation from pastes a more attractive alternative among other chemical-heat treatment technologies.
Cross section of 15N-2D nuclear reactions from 3.3 to 7.0 MeV for simultaneous hydrogen and deuterium quantitation in surface layers with 15N ion beams
