Effects of Initial Microstructure on the Low-Temperature Plasma Nitriding of Ferritic Stainless Steel

AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel with different initial microstructures was low-temperature plasma nitrided to improve its hardness and wear resistance in the present investigation. The microstructure and properties of the low-temperature nitrided layers on stainless steel with different initial microstructures were studied by an optical microscope, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, microhardness tester, pin-on-disk tribometer, and electrochemical workstation. The results show that the low-temperature nitrided layer characteristics of ferritic stainless steel are highly initial-microstructure dependent. For the ferritic stainless steel with a solid solution and annealing treatment, it had the best performance after low-temperature plasma nitriding when compared with the stainless steel with other initial microstructures. The nitrided layer thickness reached 34 μm after nitriding at 450 °C for 8 h. The phase composition of the low-temperature-nitrided layer consisted mainly of a nitrogen “expanded” α phase (αN) and iron nitrides (Fe4N and Fe2–3N). The hardness of the nitrided layer could reach up to 1832 HV0.1. Moreover, the wear and corrosion resistance of the nitrided layer on the solution and annealing treated ferritic stainless steel could be improved at the same time.