Investigation of the variation in the size of samples made of 5СNM steel under thermal diffusion saturation with powder mixtures containing boron and copper

The change in the dimensions of parts after diffusion saturation of alloyed steel 5KhNM with boron and copper is investigated. Diffusion layers obtained on samples with different compositions of the saturating mixture are described. It is shown that when carrying out experiments on saturation of samples in a medium of powders with boron and copper, diffusion layers with an acicular structure with a thickness of 220...330 μm are obtained, and the increase in the observed size was from 44 to 135 μm, depending on the composition of the powder mixture. The properties of diffusion layers have been studied, including the distribution of microhardness and chemical elements at different distances from the surface.