Comparative study of AISI 4340 and AISI 347 nitrocarburizing by Tenifer-QPQ® process
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/revmetalm.136Keywords:
Austenitic nitrocarburizing, Ferritic nitrocarburizing, Liquid nitrocarburizing, Microestructure, Tennifer®QPQ process, WearAbstract
This paper studies the microstructural and tribological differences of layers formed during the ferritic nitrocarburizing of AISI 4340 alloy steel and AISI 347 stabilized stainless steel. The samples were exposed to different times of immersion in a nitrocarburizing bath (60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 min) at 580 °C. Subsequently, they were subjected to an oxidation process at 480 °C in order to form a Fe3O4 layer. Surface microstructural studies were carried out by SEM-EDS and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Wear and friction coefficient of nitrocarburized samples and non-treated samples were studied by pin-on-disk test. The results show two well-differentiated zones in AISI 4340 steel: an outer oxides layer, a white layer or compound layer and a diffusion zone. However, the compound layer was not found in AISI 347 steel. In both steels, the specific wear coefficient (k) of nitrocarburated samples is about thirty times lower than the reference samples.
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