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Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-08T17:19:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Resumo - Arcesio.pdf: 51440 bytes, checksum: 8ef4fe0ed322b239b5daaf2be79baeb7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Samples of AISI 304 stainless steel were surface treated with plasma of continuous current, at different times and cycles. The treatment conditions of the first set of samples treated for 20 hours were 400°C, an atmosphere of 44% Ar + 66% H2 for ion bombarding cycles and 75% N2 + 25% H2 for nitriding cycles and pressure 2,0 Torr. For treatments performed for 90 minutes, the following conditions were used: temperature 400°C, 25% Ar + 75% H2 ion bombarding cycles, 25% N2 + 75% H2 for non ion bombarding (nitriding) cycles and pressure of 3.0 Torr. The samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and x-ray diffraction. In the samples treated for 20 hours hardness was measured using a microhardness tester, for samples treated for 90 minutes, nanoindentation test was used to measure hardness and modulus of elasticity. The diffraction results showed that there precipitation of chromium nitrides and iron in all treated samples and the increase in the number of cycles of ion bombarding facilitates the decomposition of austenite expanded nitrides of chromium and iron. The alternating cycles of ion bombarding and nitriding creates interfaces in the interior of nitrided layer. The samples treated without ion bombarding cycles have higher hardness values than the samples with ion bombarding cycles. / Amostras de aço inoxidável AISI 304 foram tratadas superficialmente utilizando plasma de corrente contínua em diferentes tempos e ciclos. As condições a que foi submetido o primeiro conjunto de amostras, tratadas durante 20 horas, foram: temperatura de 400°C, atmosfera de 44% Ar + 66% H2 para os ciclos bombardeamento iônico e 75% N2 + 25% H2 para os ciclos de bombardeamento iônico nitretante (nitretação) e pressão de 2,0 torr. Para os tratamentos realizados durante 90 minutos, utilizou-se as seguintes condições: temperatura de 400°C, 25% Ar + 75% H2 para os ciclos bombardeamento iônico, 25% N2 + 75% H2 para os ciclos de nitretação e pressão de 3,0 Torr. As amostras foram caracterizadas utilizando microscopia eletrônica de varredura, microscopia ótica e difração de raio-x. Nas amostras tratadas por 20 horas, a dureza foi medida utilizando um microdurômetro e para as amostras tratadas por 90 minutos, utilizou-se nanoindentação instrumentada para medida da dureza e do módulo de elasticidade. Os resultados de difração mostraram que houve a precipitação de nitretos de cromo e ferro em todas as amostras tratadas e que o aumento no número de ciclos de bombardeamento iônico favorece a decomposição da austenita expandida em nitretos de cromo e ferro. A alternância entre ciclos de bombardeamento iônico e nitretação cria interfaces no interior da camada nitretada. As amostras tratadas sem ciclos de bombardeamento iônico possuem valores de dureza mais elevados que as amostras com ciclos de bombardeamento iônico.

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Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T19:25:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-03-10 / This work aimed at study the correlation of variables in a plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) system, as well as their synergistic combination for the nitriding of the UNS S32750 super duplex stainless steel ( SD 2507). The research comprised two phases, as follows. (i) Study of the system. The interconnection of variables, namely voltage (V), pulse width (L), frequency (f) and current (I), were systematically analyzed with respect to the cathode heating. A mathematical formulation was proposed for the ion average energy and the substrate temperature, which took into consideration the energy conservation in the system, and the basic theories for plasma and sheaths and the ion interaction with matter. Hereafter, such model is thought to be experimentally demonstrated, allowing inferring the actual PIII fraction of energy that is converted to heat. (ii) N-PIII of the SD. Mirror-like samples were nitrided under different V, f and L combinations, leading to the temperatures 295, 325, 355 and 400 oC. The surface characterization methods were the optical, field emission electron, and atomic force microscopies, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, backscattered electron diffraction, and instrumented indentation. The austenite and ferrite fraction in the as received material amounted to 43,7 % and 56,3 %, respectively. After nitriding, the modified layers were 0,5-1,5 m thick. Up to 355 ºC, the expanded phase N was produced in originally austenite grains, whereas Fe2-3N e Fe4N precipitates were formed in ferrite grains. The hardness profiles were similar among different temperatures and between the two phases in the same sample. However, in ferritic regions, the mechanism for plastic deformation changed from ductile to brittle. In the 400 ºC treatments, only N was formed. Finally, a correlation for the production of the expanded phase in PIII and the mean pulse energy Ei was attained, given by and . Where IN and I are the integrated intensities of diffraction peaks for austenite and expanded austenite, respectively. / O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar o comportamento de um sistema de implantação iônica por imersão em plasma (PIII: “plasma immersion ion implantation”), em função de suas variáveis, bem como a influência destas na nitretação de superfícies do aço super duplex UNS S32750 (ou SD 2507). O trabalho foi dividido em dois momentos, como segue. (i) Estudo do sistema. O comportamento das variáveis associadas à implantação iônica, especificamente tensão (V), largura de pulsos (L), frequência (f) e corrente (I), foi sistematicamente analisado com relação ao aquecimento do cátodo. Com base na conservação de energia, física de plasmas e bainhas catódicas e interação de íons com a matéria, propôs-se uma formulação matemática relacionado a energia média dos íons à temperatura do substrato, a qual poderá, futuramente, ser posta à prova experimental, mensurando-se a fração de energia que é, de fato, transformada em calor. (ii) Nitretação por PIII do SD. Amostras com superfície especular foram nitretadas sob diferentes combinações de V, f e L, em temperaturas de 295, 325, 355 e 400 oC. As superfícies foram caracterizadas por métodos de microscopia (ótica, eletrônica com efeito de campo, de força atômica), difração de raios X, espectroscopia de raios X por energia dispersiva, difração de elétrons retroespalhados, e indentação instrumentada. O SD apresenta estrutura cristalina de austenita e ferrita na proporção de 43,7/56,3. A nitretação produziu camadas modificadas com espessura de 0,5 a 1,5 m. Observou-se, nos tratamentos até 355 ºC, a formação da fase expandida N nos grãos que originalmente eram austenita, e de precipitados de nitretos -Fe2-3N e -Fe4N em grãos de ferrita. Embora não houve diferenças significativas nos perfis de dureza, tanto entre as temperaturas quanto entre as fases em uma mesma amostra, o mecanismo de deformação plástica nas regiões ferríticas transitou de dúctil para frágil. Nas nitretações em 400 ºC, houve apenas a formação de N. Finalmente, determinou-se que a obtenção da fase expandida por PIII no SD se relaciona com a energia média por pulso Ei por e . Onde I e I são as intensidades integradas dos picos de difração da austenita expandida e da austenita, respectivamente.

A solution-hardening of AISI 316L stainless-steel powder was conducted. The expansion of the crystal lattice and a strong increase in the nanoindentation hardness confirm the successful diffusion of carbon and nitrogen in the interstices. A multiphase state of the powder feedstock with phase fractions of the metastable S-phase (expanded austenite) mainly at the particle’s edge, and the initial austenitic phase within the core was found. Thermal spraying using high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) and atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) prove the sufficient thermal stability of the Sphase. Microstructural investigations of the HVOF coating reveal the ductility of the S-phase layer, while the higher heat load within the APS cause diffusion processes with the initial austenitic phase. The lattice expansion and the nanoindentation hardness decrease during thermal spraying. However, the absence of precipitates ensures the sufficient heat stability of the metastable S-phase. Even though further efforts are required for the thermochemical treatment of powder feedstock, the results confirm the feasibility of the novel powder treatment approach.

Low-temperature plasma nitrocarburizing treatments are applied to improve the surface properties of austenitic stainless steels by forming an expanded austenite layer without impairing the excellent corrosion resistance of the steel. Here, low-temperature active screen plasma nitrocarburizing (ASPNC) was investigated in an industrial-scale cold-wall reactor to compare the effects of two active screen materials: (i) a steel active screen with the addition of methane as a gaseous carbon-containing precursor and (ii) an active screen made of carbon-fibre-reinforced carbon (CFC) as a solid carbon precursor. By using both active screen materials, ASPNC treatments at variable plasma conditions were conducted using AISI 316L. Moreover, insight into the plasma-chemical composition of the H2-N2 plasma for both active screen materials was gained by laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS) combined with optical emission spectroscopy (OES). It was found that, in the case of a CFC active screen in a biased condition, the thickness of the nitrogen-expanded austenite layer increased, while the thickness of the carbon-expanded austenite layer decreased compared to the non-biased condition, in which the nitrogen- and carbon-expanded austenite layers had comparable thicknesses. Furthermore, the crucial role of biasing the workload to produce a thick and homogeneous expanded austenite layer by using a steel active screen was validated.

Gas nitriding is known as a convenient process to improve the wear resistance of steel components. A precipitation-free hardening by low-temperature processes is established to retain the good corrosion resistance of stainless steel. In cases of thermal spray coatings, the interstitial solvation is achieved without an additional surface activation step. The open porosity permits the penetration of the donator media and leads to a structural diffusion. An inhomogeneous diffusion enrichment occurs at the single spray particle edges within the coating’s microstructure. A decreasing diffusion depth is found with increasing surface distance. The present study investigates an adjusted process management for low-temperature gas nitriding of high velocity oxy-fuel-sprayed AISI 316L coatings. To maintain a homogeneous diffusion depth within the coating, a pressure modulation during the process is studied. Additionally, the use of cracked gas as donator is examined. The process management is designed without an additional surface activation step. Regardless of surface distance, microstructural investigations reveal a homogeneous diffusion depth by a reduced processing time. The constant hardening depth allows a reliable prediction of the coatings’ properties. An enhanced hardness and improved wear resistance is found in comparison with the as-sprayed coating condition.

Active screen plasma nitrocarburizing (ASPNC) increases the surface hardness and lifetime of austenitic stainless steel without deteriorating its corrosion resistance. Using an active screen made of carbon opens up new technological possibilities that have not been exploited to date. In this study, the effect of screen power variation without bias application on resulting concentrations of process gas species and surface modification of AISI 316L steel was studied. The concentrations of gas species (e.g., HCN, NH3, CH4, C2H2) were measured as functions of the active screen power and the feed gas composition at constant temperature using in situ infrared laser absorption spectroscopy. At constant precursor gas composition, the decrease in active screen power led to a decrease in both the concentrations of the detected molecules and the diffusion depths of nitrogen and carbon. Depending on the gas mixture, a threshold of the active screen power was found above which no changes in the expanded austenite layer thickness were measured. The use of a heating independent of the screen power offers an additional parameter for optimizing the ASPNC process in addition to changes in the feed gas composition and the bias power. In this way, an advanced process control can be established.