Microstructure and mechanical properties of 17-4PH steel plasma nitrocarburized with and without rare earths addition

Abstract M50NiL steel was plasma nitrocarburized at 500 °C with and without rare earth (RE) addition. The nitrocarburized layers were characterized by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer, X-ray diffraction, hardness tests and pin-on-disc tribometer. The results show that the RE atoms can diffuse into M50NiL steel surface and change the surface morphology of the nitrocarburized layer. The incorporation of RE atoms increases the surface hardness of the nitrocarburized layer (approximately 130HV 0.1 higher), layer thickness (about 14% thicker) and carbon content of the modified layer, respectively. The wear rates of the nitrocarburized specimens are significantly lower than that of the un-nitrocarburized one. The wear mechanisms of the specimens plasma nitrocarburized with and without RE addition are different mainly due to the differences in the surface morphology, the phase proportion and the hardness of the modified layer.