MICROSTRUCTURE AND CORROSION RESISTANCE OF CHROMIUM NITRIDES OBTAINED BY VACUUM GAS NITRIDING OF ELECTROLYTIC CHROMIUM DEPOSITED ON AISI H13 STEEL

In this scientific research paper, the microstructure and corrosion resistance of chromium nitrides obtained from a duplex treatment consisting of an electroplated hard chromium coating applied on a steel AISI H13 follow by a thermochemical treatment in vacuum using NH3 as precursor gas of nitrogen, is evaluated. This type of duplex treatments combine the benefits of each individual treatment in order to obtain, with this synergic effect, compounds type CrxN more economic than those obtained by other kind of treatments e.g. physical vapor deposition (PVD). The results obtained by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) indicate the surface and subsurface transformation of the electrolytic hard chromium coating by formation of CrN and Cr2N phases. Likewise, potentiodynamic polarization tests indicate an increase in corrosion resistance of such kind of compounds in comparison with the obtained results with electroplated hard chromium.