• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.219-227
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• 2002

This study has been performed to investigate the effect of $CO_2$ content on the growth characteristics of the compound layer, porous layer and corrosion characteristics of carbon steels after gaseous nitrocarburizing in $70%-NH_3-CO_2-N_2$ at $580^{\circ}C$ for 2.5 hrs. The results obtained from the experiment were the thickness of the compound and porous layers increased with increasing $CO_2$ contents. At the same fixed gas composition the thickness of the compound and porous layer increased with increasing carbon content of the specimens. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that compound layer was mainly consisted of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}(N,C)$ and ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4N$ as the increased with $CO_2$ contents in atmosphere, compound layer was chiefly consisted of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}(N,C)$ phase. With increasing $CO_2$ content and total flow rate in gaseous nitrocarburizing, the amount of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}(N,C)$ phase in the compound layer was increased. The current density of passivity decreased with increasing $CO_2$ content due to the development of porous layer at the out most surface of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}(N,C)$.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.206-218
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• 1994

In 50%$NH_3+Air+N_2$ atmospheres, the effect of air additions on the growth characteristics of the compound layer during oxynitriding at $570^{\circ}C$ for 2hr in carbon and alloy steels has been investigated. The ammount of apparent residual ammonia during oxynitriding has shown to be increased with air additions(9~36 Vol. %) and X-ray diffraction analysis of case oxynitreded has shown that the compound layer consist of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}$(N, C) phase and ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4$(N,C) phase. In the case of carbon steels, the thickness of oxide layer, compound layer and porous layer and the amount of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}$(N,C) phase in the compound layer were increased with additions of air in 50%$NH_3+N_2$ atmospheres. At the same gas composition, the thickenss of oxide layer, compound layer and porous layer in alloy steels showed slightly thin layer thickness compared to those of carbon steels and the ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4$(N,C) phase in the compound layer of alloy steels was found barely. Therefore, the most obvious effect of air addition in the gas nitriding atmosphere has been found to in crease further kinetics of nitriding reaction.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.289-301
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• 1995

The effect of Air/$C_3H_8$ gas addition on the compound layer growth of steels nitrocarburised in $NH_3+Air+C_3H_8$ mixed gas atmospheres was investigated. It is considered that amount of residual $NH_3$ was varied according to alternation of Air/$C_3H_8$ mixing ratio and volume content. The compound layer formed from nitrocarburising was composed of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}$(C, N) and ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4$(C, N). According as Air/$C_3H_8$ mixing ratio increased, the superficial content of ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4$(C, N) within the compound layer was increased, at the same time the growth rate of compound layer and porous layer was increased. In the case of alloy steel at the fixed gas composition, the growth rate of compound layer and porous layer was worse than carbon steel and compound layer phase composition structure primarily consisted of E phase. As the carbon content of materials was increasing in the given gas atmospheres, the growth rate of compound layer and porous layer was increased and the superficial content of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}$(C, N) within the compound layer was increased.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.265-269
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• 2004

Plasma nitrocarburising and post oxidation were performed on SCM435 steel by a pulsed plasma ion nitriding system. Plasma oxidation resulted in the formation of a very thin ferritic oxide layer 1-2 $\mu\textrm{m}$ thick on top of a 15～25 $\mu\textrm{m}$ $\varepsilon$-F $e_{2-3}$(N,C) nitrocarburized compound layer. The growth rate of oxide layer increased with the treatment temperature and time. However, the oxide layer was easily spalled from the compound layer either for both oxidation temperatures above $450^{\circ}C$, or for oxidation time more than 2 hrs at oxidation temperature $400^{\circ}C$. It was confirmed that the relative amount of $Fe_2$$O_3$, compared with $e_3$$O_4$, increased rapidly with the oxidation temperature. The amounts of ${\gamma}$'-$Fe_4$(N,C) and $\theta$-$Fe_3$C, generated from dissociation from $\varepsilon$-$Fe_{2-3}$ /(N,C) phase during $O_2$ plasma sputtering, were also increased with the oxidation temperature.e.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2004

Nitrocarburizing was carried out with various $CH_4$ gas composition with 4 torr gas pressure at $570^{\circ}C$ for 3 hours and post oxidation was carried out with 100% $O_2$ gas atmosphere with 4 torr at different temperatures for various time. In the case of plasma nitrocarburizing, It is that the ratio of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}$(N, C) and ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4$(C, N), which comprise the compound layer phase, depend on concentrations of $N_2$ gas and $CH_4$ such that when the concentration of $N_2$ and $CH_4$ increased, the ratio of ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4$(C, N) decreased, but the ratio of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}$(N, C) increased. The thickness of compound layer consistently increased as gas concentration increased regardless of $N_2$ and $CH_4$ expect when the concentration of $CH_4$ was 3.5 volume%, it decreased insignificantly. When oxidizing for 15min in the temperature range of $460{\sim}570{^\circ}C$, the study found small amount of $Fe_3O_4$ at the temperature of $460{^\circ}C$ and also found that amounts of $Fe_2O_3$. and $Fe_3O_4$ on the surface and amount of ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4$(C, N) in the compound layer increased as the increased over $460^{\circ}C$, but the thickness of the compound layer decreased. Corrosion resistance was influenced by oxidation times and temperature.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.250-253
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• 2007

Plasma nitrocarburizing and plasma oxidizing treatments were performed to improve the wear and corrosion resistance of SKD 11 steel. Plasma nitrocarburizing was conducted for 12 h at $520^{\circ}C$ in the nitrogen, hydrogen and methane atmosphere to produce the $\varepsilon-Fe_{2-3}(N,C)$ phase. It was found that the compound layer produced by plasma nitrocarburising was predominantly composed of $\varepsilon-phase$, with a small proportion of $\gamma'-Fe_4(N,C)$ phase. The thickness of the compound layer was about $5{\mu}m$ and the diffusion layer was about $150{\mu}m$ in thickness, respectively. Plasma post oxidation was performed on the nitrocarburized samples with various oxygen/hydrogen ratio at constant temperature of $500^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour. The very thin magnetite($Fe_3O_4$) layer $1-2{\mu}m$ in thickness on top of the compound layer was obtained by plasma post oxidation. It was confirmed that the corrosion characteristics of the nitrocarburized compound layer could be further improved by the application of the superficial magnetite layer.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.9-20
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• 1999

The effect of post oxidation, water-quenched after holding in air for 5~420 seconds or cooling or furnace cooling, on corrosion resistance and phase formation characteristics of the surface layer of SM20C and SM45C carbon steels after gas nirtrocarbursing in the $NH_3-5%CO_2-N_2$ gas atmosphere at $580^{\circ}C$ for 3hours is studied. The compound layers of two steels consist of ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}N$, ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4N$ and $Fe_3O_4$, phases, however, the quantity of ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Fe_4N$ phase increases for the furnace cooled specimen compared to that of air cooling specimen. With increasing $NH_3$ content in the gas mixture and also increasing the keeping time in the air after gas nitrocarburising, the ${\varepsilon}-Fe_{2-3}N$ phase of compound layer increases, while the decreased current density recognizing the improvement of corrosion resistance are shown. the passive current density of SM45C steel is lower than that of SM20C steel at the same nitrocarburising conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 1988

This study has been carried out to evaluate gaseous nitrocarburizing treatment undertaken for pure iron at $570^{\circ}C$ in an atmosphere containing 50% endothermic gas, generated from natural gas, and 50% ammonia. The results obtained from the experiment are as follows ; 1) The microstructure of gaseous nitrocarburized pure iron consists of the compound layer on the surface and the diffusion zone beneath it. The compound layer progresses uniformly into ferrite with a thickness of $20{\mu}$ obtained after treating for 3 hours. 2) Chemical analysis has shown that the compound layer has a C/N ratio of 0.19 and that the average combined interstitial content of the compound layer is about 30 atomic percent, which is close to the lower limit of the ${\varepsilon}$-carbonitride phase field in Fe-C-N phase diagram. 3) X-ray diffraction analysis has revealed that the compound layer consists mainly of the c.p.h. phase, ${\varepsilon}-Fe_3$(C.N) and a small amount of $Fe_4N$ and traces of ferrite are also present in the compound layer. 4) The microhardness of the compound layer is about 600 V.H.N and shows a relatively sharp fall-off at the compound layer/diffusion zome interface. 5) The average actual degree of ammonia dissociation is calculated to be 27% for a gaseous nitrocarburizing treatment carried out at $570^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2006

The fraction of $\varepsilon\;and\;\gamma$'-iron nitride in compound layer is predicted by x-ray diffraction using direct comparison method. The validity of formulation models was checked by comparing calculated results with metallographic analysis of iron nitride compound layer grown on steel S45C by gas nitriding. The fraction of $\varepsilon$ calculated by the three phase model, porous-$Fe_3N$/ dense-$Fe_3N$/ mixed layer with $Fe_3N\;and\;Fe_4N$, is 80 percent of that analyzed by etching technique. The $\varepsilon$ fraction predicted by mixed layer model is 122 percent of that measured by microscope.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.712-720
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• 1998

The effect of H2:N2 gas ratio on the case thickness hardness and nitrides formation in the sur-face of SCM440 machine structural steel have been studied by micro-pulse plasma process. The thickness of compound layer increased with the increase of nitrogen content in the gas com-position. The maximum thickness of compound layer the maximum case depth and the maximum surface hardness were about 15.8${\mu}m$, 400${\mu}m$ and Hv765 respectively in the nitriding condition of 250Pa and 70% nitrogen content at $520^{\circ}C$ for 7hrs. Generally only nitride phases such as ${\'{\gamma}}$($Fe_4N$)$\varepsilon(Fe_2}{_3N}$ phases were detected in compound and diffusion layer by XRD analysis. The amount of $\varepsilon(Fe_2}{_3N}$ phase increased with the increase of nitrogen content. The relative amounts and kind of phases formed in the nitrided case changed with the change of nitrogen content in the gas composition.