Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T00:49:15.943Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Microstructure of Plasma-Nitrided 316 Austenitic Stainless Steel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

J.C. Jiang
Affiliation:
Louisiana State University, Mechanical Engineering Department, Materials Science and Engineering Program, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803
E.I. Meletis
Affiliation:
Louisiana State University, Mechanical Engineering Department, Materials Science and Engineering Program, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803
Get access

Extract

Austenitic stainless steels plasma-nitrided at low temperature can have a tremendously improved surface hardness without affecting their excellent corrosion resistance. The surface layer of these nitrided materials was considered to be composed of an uncharacterized, so called “S-phase”. During the past decade, several research groups have studied “S” phase using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), but its microstructure is not yet well understood and is still a topic of debate. In this paper, we characterize the microstructure of 316 stainless steel nitrided by intensified plasma-assisted processing (IPAP) using cross-sectional TEM.

Samples of 316 austenitic stainless steel were nitrided for 1 hour by IPAP at a temperature of ∼ 400 °C. Plasma-nitrided samples were cross-sectioned and glued face-to-face by joining the nitrided surface. Crosssectional specimens for TEM observations were prepared by mechanical grinding, polishing and dimpling followed by Ar+ milling. TEM studies were carried out in a newly installed JEOL JEM 2010 electron microscope in the Materials Characterization Facility at the Louisiana State University.

Type
Films and Coatings
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References:

1.Ichii, K., Fujimura, K. and Takase, T., Technol. Rep. Kansai Uni. 27, 135 (1986).Google Scholar
2.Sun, Y., Li, X. Y. and Bell, T., J. Mater. Sci. 34, 4793 (1999).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Li, X., Samandi, M., Dunne, D. and Hutchings, R., Surf. Coat. Technol. 71, 175 (1995).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Li, X. Y., Sun, Y., Bloyee, A. and Bell, T., Inst. Phys. Conf. Ser. 153, 633 (1997).Google Scholar
5.Meletis, E. I. and Yan, S., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 9, 2279 (1991).CrossRefGoogle Scholar