Investigation of the Microstructure and Microanalyses of Pulsed Plasma Nitrided Hot Working Steel (H13)

In the research, the effects of plasma nitriding parameters including frequency and duty cycle investigated on samples with different grooves. Sample assemblies consisting of rectangular grooved steel blocks with groove dimensions of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10(w) × 40(H) × 20(L) mm^3 and DIN/1.2344 steel plate (substrates) with dimensions of 10 × 40 × 60 mm^3, to serve as groove cover, were prepared the sample assemblies were nitride under the gas mixture of 75%H2-25%N2, at temperature of 500 C  for 5 hours. Then structural properties of surfaces investigated by experiments SEM, XRD and Micro Hardness measure. The results of the experiments showed that with increasing the thickness of the groove and duty cycle, roughness and micro hardness of surfaces raise and Also it was obtained that, the compound layer of the treated samples consisted of γ´:Fe4N and ε: Fe2-3N phases which proportion of γ´: Fe4N to ε: Fe2-3N increased by raising duty cycle and decreases thickness of grooves

Investigation of the Microstructure and Microanalyses of Pulsed Plasma Nitrided Hot Working Steel (H13) Keywords:

Pulsed Plasma Nitride , XRD , Duty Cycle , Frequency