• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.65-68
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• 2007

저온 플라즈마 기술을 이용하면 오스테나이트계 스테인리스강의 내식성과 표면경도를 동시에 증가 시킬 수 있다. 여러 가지 처리방법 중 질탄화와 2-step 공정으로 처리한 AISI304L강의 표면을 분석하였다. 처리한 모든 시편의 표면은 expanded austenite(${\gamma}_N$)이 형성되었고, 표면 경도도 모재보다 약 4배 이상 증가 하였다. 저온플라즈마 질탄화 공정의 경우 경화층의 두께가 최대 15 ${\mu}m$밖에 형성되지 않았지만 2-step공정의 경우 질탄화 공정보다 짧은 시간으로 약 2배의 경화층을 얻을 수 있었다. 두 가지 공정 모두 온도와 시간이 증가할수록 경화층의 두께가 두꺼워졌지만, 과도하게 높은 온도와 긴 공정시간은 석출물을 형성 시켰다. 석출물이 형성되지 않은 시편의 경우 내식성이 증가하였다.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.293-299
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• 2015

In this study, nitrogen ions were implanted into STS 316L austenitic stainless steel by plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) to improve the corrosion resistance. The implantation of nitrogen ions was performed with bias voltages of -5, -10, -15, and -20 kV. The implantation time was 240 min and the implantation temperature was kept at room temperature. With nitrogen implantation, the corrosion resistance of 316 L improved in comparison with that of the bare steel. The effects of nitrogen ion implantation on the electrochemical corrosion behavior of the specimen were investigated by the potentiodynamic polarization test, which was conducted in a 0.5 M $H_2SO_4$ solution at $70^{\circ}C$. The phase evolution and texture caused by the nitrogen ion implantation were analyzed by an X-ray diffractometer. It was demonstrated that the samples implanted at lower bias voltages, i.e., 5 kV and 10 kV, showed an expanded austenite phase, ${\gamma}_N$, and strong (111) texture morphology. Those samples exhibited a better corrosion resistance.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.269-274
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• 2015

In this experiment, post-nitriding treatment was performed at $400^{\circ}C$ on AISI 316 stainless steel which was plasma carburized previously at $430^{\circ}C$ for 15 hours. Plasma nitriding was implemented on AISI 316 stainless steel at various gas compositions (25% $N_2$, 50% $N_2$ and 75% $N_2$) for 4 hours. Additionally, during post nitriding Ar gas was used with $H_2$ and $N_2$ to observe the improvement of surface properties. After treatment, the behavior of the hybrid layer was investigated by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and micro-hardness testing. Potentiodynamic polarization test was also used to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the samples. Meanwhile, it was found that the surface hardness increased with increasing the nitrogen gas content. Also small percentage of Ar gas was introduced in the post nitriding process which improved the hardness of the hardened layer but reduced the corrosion resistance compared with the carburized sample. The experiment revealed that AISI 316L stainless steel showed better hardness and excellent corrosion resistance compared with the carburized sample, when 75% $N_2$ gas was used during the post nitriding treatment. Also addition of Ar gas during post nitriding treatment degraded the corrosion resistance of the sample compared with the carburized sample.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.69-69
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• 2001

We report a study of the nitriding of the martensitic grade of stainless steel AKSK 420 in a low-pressure rl discharge using pure nitrogen. Much studied samples of the austenitic grade AISI 304 were treated at the same time to provide a comparison. With a treatment time of 4.0 h at $400^{\circ}C$, the nitrogen-rich layer on MSK 420 is 20pm thick and has a hardness about 4.3 times higher than that of the untreated material. The layer thickness is much greater than that obtained on AISI 304 under identical treatment conditions, reflecting the different Cr content of the two alloys. The alloy AlISI 420 is more susceptible than AISI 304 to the formation of CrN and ferrite, and this has a deleterious effect on the hardnes, gain. Below the temperature at which CrN forms, the treated layer retains its martensitic structure, but with a larger lattice parameter than the bulk, a phase that we term expanded martensite, by analogy with the situation with austenitic stainless steel. The fact that the treated layer retains a martensitic structure is interesting in view of previous evidence that nitrogen is an austenite stabilizer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.117-117
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• 2017

오스테나이트계 스테인리스강의 기계적 특성 향상을 위해 열화학적 표면처리 방법으로 공정 후 재료의 변형이 없고 친환경적인 플라즈마 이온질화 기술이 널리 사용되고 있다. 특히 대략 $450^{\circ}C$이하에서 플라즈마 이온질화 처리 시 S상이라 불리는 expanded austenite 생성에 기인하여 내식성이 향상시키는 것으로 알려져 있다. 그러나 이전의 연구 결과 증류수, HCl, $H_2SO_4$ 등의 실험 용액에 따라 동일한 공정 온도에 대하여 다른 부식 특성을 나타냈으며, 내식성이 확보되는 온도 또한 다른 결과를 얻었다. 이처럼 적용 환경에 따라 다른 부식 경향을 보이고 있으나, 해양 환경에 사용될 해수에서의 부식 저항성에 대한 명확한 규명은 이루어지지 않고 있다. 따라서 본 연구는 해양환경에 보편화되어 있는 오스테나이크계 스테인리스강을 선정하여 다양한 온도에서 플라즈마 이온질화 처리 후 전기화학실험을 통해 온도 변화에 따른 부식 특성을 분석하였다. 플라즈마 이온질화는 25% 질소와 75% 수소의 비율로 $350{\sim}500^{\circ}C$의 온도 조건에서 10시간 동안 처리하였다. 플라즈마 이온질화 처리 후 마이크로 경도 계측과 X-선 회절(X-ray diffraction, XRD) 분석을 통해 온도 변화에 따른 금속 표면에 형성된 질화물의 기계적 조직학적 특성을 분석하였다. 또한 모재 및 다양한 온도에서 플라즈마 이온질화 처리된 재료에 대하여 $2{\times}2cm$(노출면적 $1cm^2$) 시편을 제작하여 전기화학적 부식 실험을 수행하여 부식 특성을 상호 비교 분석하였다. 전기화학적 부식 실험은 침적실험, 동전위 양극 음극 분극 실험을 실시하여 전위 변화에 따른 전류밀도 추이를 분석하여 부식 경향을 파악하였다. 그리고 전기화학 실험 후 손상부의 SEM 관찰과 손상 깊이 분석 및 무게 감소량 계측을 통한 종합적인 분석을 통해 온도-부식 경향의 상관관계를 규명하였다. 또한 분극 실험 후 타펠 외삽법으로 부식전위와 부식전류밀도를 구하여 미처리된 재료 및 플라즈마 이온질화 온도 변화에 따른 상대적 부식 속도를 예측하였다.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.11
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• pp.716-721
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• 2009

The major drive for the application of low-temperature plasma treatment in nitrocarburizing of austenitic stainless steels lies in improved surface hardness without degraded corrosion resistance. The low-temperature plasma nitrocarburizing was performed in a gas mixture of $N_{2}$, $H_{2}$, and carbon-containing gas such as $CH_{4}$ at $450^{\circ}C$. The influence of the processing time (5~30 h) and $N_{2}$ gas composition (15~35%) on the surface properties of the nitrocarburized layer was investigated. The resultant nitrocarburized layer was a dual-layer structure, which was comprised of a N-enriched layer (${\gamma}_N$) with a high nitrogen content on top of a C-enriched layer (${\gamma}_C$) with a high carbon content, leading to a significant increase in surface hardness. The surface hardness reached up to about $1050HV_{0.01}$, which is about 4 times higher than that of the untreated sample ($250HV_{0.01}$). The thickness of the hardened layer increased with increasing treatment time and $N_{2}$ gas level in the atmosphere and reached up to about $25{\mu}m$. In addition, the corrosion resistance of the treated samples without containing $Cr_{2}N$ precipitates was enhanced than that of the untreated samples due to a high concentration of N on the surface. However, longer treatment time (25% $N_{2}$, 30 h) and higher $N_{2}$ gas composition (35% $N_{2}$, 20 h) resulted in the formation of $Cr_{2}N$ precipitates in the N-enriched layer, which caused the degradation of corrosion resistance.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2018

Plasma Nitriding treatment was performed on STS 204Cu stainless steel samples at a temperature of $400^{\circ}C$ for 15 hours with varying $N_2$ content as 10%, 15% and 25%. Regardless of the content of $N_2$, S-Phase which is a hardened layer of Nitrogen (N) supersaturated phase, was formed in the surface of plasma treated samples. When $N_2$ content was 25%, the thickness of the hardened layer reached up to about $7{\mu}m$ and the surface hardness reached a value of $560Hv_{0.05}$, which is about 2.5 times higher than that of untreated sample (as received $220Hv_{0.05}$). From potentiodynamic polarization test, it was observed that compared to as received sample, the corrosion potential and the corrosion current density of the plasma treated samples were decreased regardless of the $N_2$ content, but the corrosion resistance was not increased much due to the precipitation of $Cr_2N$. On the other hand, pitting potential of the samples treated with 10% and 15% $N_2$ was higher than that of as received sample, however, the samples treated with 25% exhibited a lower pitting potential. Therefore, 10% $N_2$ content was selected as optimum plasma nitriding condition and to further increase both the thickness and surface hardness and the corrosion resistance of the hardened layer, different $CH_4$ content such as 1%, 3% and 5% was introduced into the plasma nitriding atmosphere. With 1% $CH_4$, the thickness of the hardened layer reached up to about $11{\mu}m$ and the surface hardness was measured as about $620Hv_{0.05}$, which is about 2.8 times that of as received sample. And the corrosion resistance of the plasma treated sample by using 1% $CH_4$ was improved significantly due to much higher pitting potential, and lower corrosion current density. When the $CH_4$ content was more than 1%, the thickness and surface hardness of the hardened layer decreased slightly and the corrosion resistance also decreased.