Phase composition of perlite steel modified by electrolyte plasma nitriding

The paper presents the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations of phase composition of the type 0.34C-1Cr-1Ni-1Mo-Fe steel after the modification by electrolyte plasma nitriding performed in a nitrogen aqueous solution for 5 min and under voltage of 600 V. Two states of the steel specimens are investigated: 1) before nitriding (original state) and 2) after nitriding the specimen surface layer. TEM investigations show that electrolyte plasma nitriding results in substantial structural modifications such as phase composition and the number of phases involved. In the original state, the specimen structure represents lamellar perlite, ferritic-carbide mix, and fragmented ferrite. After electrolyte plasma nitriding, the structure is lamellar non-fragmented perlite and fragmented ferrite. The former is present in three states, namely: ideal lamellar perlite, lamellar perlite with fractured cementite laminae, and defect lamellar perlite. The particles of alloyed cementite M3C and nitride Fe3Mo3N are observed in each state. The structure of fragmented ferrite contains the particles of nitride Fe3Mo3N, carbonitride Cr2C0.61N0.39 and alloyed cementite M3C. The investigation also determines that electrolyte plasma nitriding leads to the increase in scalar density of dislocations in α-matrix and long-range (internal) plastic stresses.The paper presents the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations of phase composition of the type 0.34C-1Cr-1Ni-1Mo-Fe steel after the modification by electrolyte plasma nitriding performed in a nitrogen aqueous solution for 5 min and under voltage of 600 V. Two states of the steel specimens are investigated: 1) before nitriding (original state) and 2) after nitriding the specimen surface layer. TEM investigations show that electrolyte plasma nitriding results in substantial structural modifications such as phase composition and the number of phases involved. In the original state, the specimen structure represents lamellar perlite, ferritic-carbide mix, and fragmented ferrite. After electrolyte plasma nitriding, the structure is lamellar non-fragmented perlite and fragmented ferrite. The former is present in three states, namely: ideal lamellar perlite, lamellar perlite with fractured cementite laminae, and defect lamellar perlite. The particles of alloyed cementite M3C and nitride Fe3Mo3N ar...