FABRICATION AND WEAR BEHAVIOR OF PEC/N HARDENED LAYER ON PURE IRON

In this paper, the antifriction carbonitriding (PEC/N) layers were prepared on pure iron by cathodic plasma electrolytic treatment (PET) in glycerin and carbamide aqueous solution under 360[Formula: see text]V for 1, 3 and 10[Formula: see text]min. Influence of discharge time on morphology, structure, surface roughness and microhardness of PEC/N layer was analyzed. The tribological performance of the PEC/N layer, growth mechanism and diffusion process during PEC/N treatment was investigated. The thickness of the PEC/N layer grew to 48[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m for 10[Formula: see text]min treatment and the growth of the saturation layer met the parabolic law. The highest microhardness of the surface was up to 811 HV, which was 5 times of that of iron substrate. The PEC/N layer consisted of [Formula: see text]-Fe, Fe[Formula: see text]N, Fe4N, Fe3C, Fe5C2 phases and a little FeO phase. The wear rate of the PEC/N layer reduced by five-sixes comparing with the iron substrate and the surface of the wear track was much smoother. The temperature close to the surface during PEC/N fitted by the tested temperature values inside the sample was 801∘C (1074[Formula: see text]K), and the combination diffusion rate of C and N into pure iron during PET at 360[Formula: see text]V reached [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m2/s. The electron temperature fluctuates between 3000[Formula: see text]K and 8000[Formula: see text]K. The antifriction PEC/N layer displayed a very good wear resistance and the higher diffusion rate makes plasma electrolytic carbonitriding a very effective technique for surface modification of pure iron.

Cathodic boriding and anodic polishing of medium-carbon steel by plasma electrolysis

The possibility of cathodic plasma electrolytic boriding of medium-carbon steel in an aqueous solution of ammonium chloride and boric acid followed by anodic plasma electrolytic polishing in an ammonium sulfate solution on the same equipment with a change in the operating voltage is shown. The morphology and roughness of the surface, microhardness of the modified layer have been investigated. Wear resistance was studied under dry friction conditions. It has been established that cathodic boriding at 850 °C for 5–30 min leads to the hardening of the surface layer up to 1050 HV with an increase in roughness by 1.5–2.5 times and wear resistance by 3.5 times. Subsequent anodic plasma electrolytic polishing of the boriding surface leads to a decrease in roughness with an increase in wear resistance by 2.3 times.

Increasing Hardness and Corrosion Resistance of Medium-Carbon Steel Surface by Cathodic Plasma Electrolytic Nitriding

The structural-phase composition and some properties of medium-carbon steel modified surface after cathodic plasma electrolytic nitriding in a solution of ammonium chloride and ammonia have been studied. It is shown that cathodic nitriding of a steel surface is accompanied by high-temperature oxidation with the formation of oxides FeO, Fe2O3, and Fe3O4, as well as nitrogen diffusion and quenching with the formation of FeN, Fe3N, and Fe4N phases, martensite and the retained austenite. The competing effect of surface erosion by the actions of discharges and high-temperature oxidation on the morphology and roughness of the surface was revealed. It was established that the maximum microhardness of the modified layer reaches 1040 HV, and the corrosion current density of the nitrided surface decreases by a factor of 1.5–2.4.