• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.318-326
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• 2011

This study has been performed to investigate the effect of Al addition on High Temperature Gas Nitriding (HTGN) in 13%Cr-0.16%C stainless steel with different Al contents of 0.54%, 1.76% and 2.36%, respectively. HTGN treatment was carried out at $1100^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr, 5 hrs and 10 hrs. Nitrogen-permeated surface layers showed round type carbides of $Cr_{23}C_6$ and needle type nitrides of AlN in the matrix of martensite, representing 600~700 Hv. And the thickness of the surface layer increased with increasing Al content and HTGN treatment time. The inner region that was not permeated nitrogen showed chromium carbides in the mixed phase of martensite and ferrite for the 0.53% Al alloyed steel, however chromium carbides in the matrix of ferrite single phase were shown for the steels with the addition of 1.76%Al and 2.36%Al, representing the hardness of ~200 Hv. During nitrogen permeation from surface to the interior, substitutional elements of Cr, Al and Si moved toward the surface and interstitial element of carbon also moved from interior to the surface. This movement of alloying elements leads high concentration of these elements at the outmost surface, subsequently the lowest peak of substitutional elements were shown in the vicinity of near surface. After showing the lowest peak, the high concentration region of Al and C were formed due to the continuous movement of Al toward the surface. The long discontinuous precipitates of $Cr_{23}C_6$ and AlN were formed along the outmost surface owing to the high concentration of these alloying elements.