Improving the properties of commercial steel alloys in the industrial/nuclear field by RF plasma carbonitriding
Abstract
The study investigates the effect of RF plasma on the commercial SS201 and Steel alloys physical, structural and nuclear properties, using an atmosphere of nitrogen (85%) plus acetylene (15%) at 500 W working for 0.5 h. The results were compared with untreated alloys and AISI304L. The study indicated the ability of RF plasma to improve both the mechanical and tribological properties of treated alloys compared to the original commercial alloys and the AISI304L, and achieve good shielding properties for industrial/nuclear applications.
Keywords
Commercial SS201 and steel alloys are common/essential materials for the construction of many industrial/nuclear applications. • The impact of RF plasma carbonitriding on the commercial alloys compared with the standard AISI304L has been investigated. • The carbonitriding surface engineering process upgrades both mechanical/tribological properties ofCommercial alloys. • The RF plasma process achieves equivalent radiation shielding properties for the carbonitrided commercial alloys.