Surface Modification of Tool Steel by Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Nitriding Using Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Abstract

The plasma nitriding of tool steel under atmospheric-pressure was performed using a dielectric barrier discharge method, resulting in the formation of a uniform nitrided layer. In this study, the tribology properties of the nitrided layer generated by atmospheric-pressure plasma nitriding were investigated. The results showed that the surface hardness of the tool steel nitrided by the atmospheric-pressure plasma method were increased by more than twofold compared with that of the core material. The surface hardness and the thickness of the nitrided layer were uniform, with values of 1300 HV and 30 μm, respectively. In addition, the wear rate of the sample nitrided by the atmospheric-pressure plasma method was decreased by more than 25 times compared with that of the untreated sample. Only the emission of the N2 second positive system and Ar were detected by the optical emission spectroscopic observation of the generated plasma. For this reason, we consider that the nitriding of this research caused by the dissociation of nonexcited N2, NH3, NH2, and NH etc. on the sample like a gas nitriding.

Keywords

• plasma nitriding
• atmospheric pressure
• dielectric barrier discharge
• tool steel
• tribology properties