Nitriding of AISI 1020 steel: comparison between conventional nitriding and nitriding with cathodic cage

• Published in: Materials research (São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil) Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 708 - 713
• Main Authors: Sousa, Rômulo Ribeiro Magalhães de, Moura, Yuri José Luz, Sousa, Pedro Américo Orsano de, Medeiros Neto, José Quinzinho, Costa, Thércio Henrique de Carvalho, Alves Junior, Clodomiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: ABM, ABC, ABPol 01-06-2014; Associação Brasileira de Metalurgia e Materiais (ABM); Associação Brasileira de Cerâmica (ABC); Associação Brasileira de Polímeros (ABPol)
• Subjects: Austenitic stainless steels; Cage; cathodic cage; ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL; Ion nitriding; Low carbon steels; MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY; METALLURGY & METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING; Microhardness; Nitriding; Optical microscopy; Phases; plasma nitriding; SAE 1020 steel; Steels; cathodic cage; plasma nitriding; SAE 1020 steel
• ISSN: 1516-1439; 1980-5373; 1980-5373
• DOI: 10.1590/S1516-14392014005000027

Cylindrical samples of AISI 1020 steel were nitrided, using the techniques of conventional plasma nitriding and cathodic cage. In the latter, the samples are kept at floating potential, inside of a cage that works as a cathode and to shield the samples from the cathodic potential. A systematic study was conducted in order to evaluate the efficiency of this technique in the elimination of edge effect, in comparison with conventional plasma nitriding. In addition, another comparative study of the phases obtained using the conventional plasma nitriding and nitriding with cathodic cage was performed. Two metallic cages were used, one made of austenitic stainless AISI 316 and other one made of AISI 1020 steel, to prove the effect of deposition in nitriding with cathodic cage. The samples which were nitrided by this new technique had shown nitriding rates, crystalline phases, and microhardness, similar to those samples which were nitrided conventionally. However, it was possible to confirm the elimination of edge effect through the characterization by optical microscopy and by microhardness test along the samples surfaces. The samples were characterized by optical microscopy, microhardness tests and X-ray diffraction.