S-phase can be created in austenitic stainless steels by low-temperature thermochemical treatments, which greatly enhanced their hardness, wear resistance and fatigue properties because of the supersaturation by interstitials. One of the technological challenges associated with S-phase surface engineering is that the maximum layer thickness of the S-phase layers is very thin. The thickness of S-phase is restricted by its metastability and precipitation will occur as a result of prolonged treatment. In this project, the effect of in situ tensile stress on the formation of carbon S-phase on 316L austenitic stainless steel was investigated and it was demonstrated that the tensile stress thickened the S-phase layer by promoting the carbon diffusion in austenitic substrate. However, metastable carbides precipitated when applied tensile stress exceeded 40MPa. The thermo-mechanical stability of carbon S-phase was studied by creeping (tensile stress) and HIPping (compressive stress) tests. The results showed that the compressive stress retard the decomposition of S-phase by impeding the carbon diffusion; on the other hand, tensile stress promoted the carbon diffusion. The residual compressive and shear stresses in carbon S-phase was measured be 2.2 GPa and 132 MPa. The wear behaviour of carbon S-phase was studied by dry and oil lubricated reciprocating wear.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:541242 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Li, Wei |
| Publisher | University of Birmingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/2894/ |
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