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Surface Characterization of a Decarburized and Nitrided Steel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2006

Irene Calliari ,
Manuele Dabalà ,
Marzia Zanesco ,
Enrico Bernardo ,
Filippo Olmi  and
Gloria Vaggelli
Irene Calliari
Affiliation:
Department of Innovation in Mechanics and Management (DIMEG), University of Padova, Via Marzolo 9, IT-35131 Padova, Italy
Manuele Dabalà
Affiliation:
Department of Innovation in Mechanics and Management (DIMEG), University of Padova, Via Marzolo 9, IT-35131 Padova, Italy
Marzia Zanesco
Affiliation:
Department of Innovation in Mechanics and Management (DIMEG), University of Padova, Via Marzolo 9, IT-35131 Padova, Italy
Enrico Bernardo
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanic Engineering (DIM), University of Padova, IT-35131 Padova, Italy
Filippo Olmi
Affiliation:
National Research Council—Institute for Earth Sciences, Unit of Firenze, Via G. La Pira 4, IT-50121 Firenze, Italy
Gloria Vaggelli
Affiliation:
National Research Council—Institute for Earth Sciences, Unit of Firenze, Via G. La Pira 4, IT-50121 Firenze, Italy
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Abstract

This article describes the effects of surface controlled decarburization on the structure of a nitrided steel. Samples of quenched and tempered 40CrMo4 steel were decarburized by air heat treatment (800–900°C) at different depths and submitted to gaseous nitriding. The microstructure of surface layers after decarburization and nitriding were investigated by optical (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nitrogen and carbon profiles in the diffusion layers were determined by a scanning electron microscope equipped with a wavelength dispersive spectrometer (EPMA-WDS). The effect of nitriding was determined by microhardness measurements. The increasing of time and temperature of decarburization slightly affect the surface hardness values, while case hardness depths decrease. In all the specimens, the nitriding depth, as determined by the WDS nitrogen profile, is larger than the one determined by the hardness profile.

Keywords

steelnitridingdecarburizationEPMA-WDSSEM
Type
MODERN DEVELOPMENTS AND APPLICATIONS IN MICROBEAM ANALYSIS
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , August 2006 , pp. 335 - 339
Copyright
© 2006 Microscopy Society of America

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References

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