Concentration/depth profiling and wear resistance of nitrogen implanted steels

doi:10.1016/0378-5963(85)90044-3

Applications of Surface Science

Volumes 22–23, Part 1, May 1985, Pages 128-135

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Abstract

The migration of implanted nitrogen during wear has been investigated. Nitrogen depth profiles measured by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and argon sputter milling within wear tracks made in mild steel are reported. These in-track AES profiles are compared with profiles for as-implanted nitrogen and wear-track roughness. Evidence in favour of nitrogen migration beyond the implant depth is qualified by the effect of surface roughness on the AES data. Some preliminary data and thoughts on the role of oxygen in the wear process are presented.

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Influence of some bulk and surface processes on strengthening and wear resistance under ion implantation
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A theoretical study has been made of some bulk and subsurface processes accompanying the ion implantation of mobile impurities with relatively high doses under technical vacuum conditions in order to modify the material properties, as well as of processes occurring at wear of bombarded surfaces. A mathematical model has been formulated for mobile impurity implantation in a sample containing a surface layer (“film”) with properties differing from the “base” and with mobile boundaries (ion-enhanced oxidation; disorder, involving amorphization; growth of carbon contaminations; bombardment of surface-coated targets; film condensation with simultaneous ion bombardment, etc). Numerical calculations and a comparison with experiment have been made for, primarily, ion nitriding of iron and steels.
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Nitrogen implantation of steels: A treatment which can initiate sustained oxidative wear
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Falex wear tests on mild (SAE 3135) steel samples treated by either nitrogen implantation (2.5 × 10¹⁷N₂⁺cm⁻² at 180 ke V) or low temperature (about 315 °C) oxidation are reported. The results show that both treatments lead to about an order-of-magnitude reduction in the long-term wear rate of the steel. In addition to the wear rate measurements, the wear member asymmetry behavior, scanning electron microscopy studies, Auger spectra and sputter profiles all indicate that the wear modes induced by both treatments are the same and are oxidative wear. These results confirm the previously proposed initiator-sustainer wear model in which implanted nitrogen simply acts as an initiator of favorable oxidative wear but is not directly involved in maintaining the sustained wear resistance. Possible mechanisms for both the initiation process and the sustained wear process are reviewed and discussed.
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Concentration/depth profiling and wear resistance of nitrogen implanted steels

Abstract

Thin Solid Films

Radiation Effects

Appl. Phys. Letters