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Improving the surface properties of additive-manufactured Inconel 625 by plasma nitridingDanijela Anica Skobir Balantič,
Črtomir Donik,
Bojan Podgornik,
Aleksandra Kocijan,
Matjaž Godec, 2023, original scientific article
Abstract: As a surface-hardening technique, plasma nitriding is a common procedure for improving the properties of
conventional Ni-based alloys. The diffusion of nitrogen hardens a layer on the surface of the alloy, leading to
better wear resistance and a higher coefficient of friction, as well as a higher surface hardness. This study reports
the effect of plasma nitriding on additive-manufactured (AM) Inconel 625 (IN625) compared to its conventional
manufactured and nitrided counterparts. The samples produced with the laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) process
were subsequently plasma nitrided in the as-built condition, stress-relief annealed at 870 °C and solution treated
at 1050 °C. The plasma nitridings were carried out at 430 °C and 500 °C for 15 h. The growth kinetics of the
nitride layer of the AM samples depends on the prior heat treatments and is faster in the as-built state due to the
specific cellular structure. The lower nitriding temperature leads to the formation of expanded austenite in the
nitride layer, while at the higher nitriding temperature, the expanded austenite decomposes and CrN precipitation
occurs. The XRD and SEM analyses confirmed the presence of two layers: the surface layer and the
diffusion layer beneath. The lower nitriding temperature caused the formation of expanded austenite or a
combination of expanded austenite and CrN. The higher nitriding temperature led to the decomposition of the
expanded austenite and to the formation/precipitation of CrN. The higher nitriding temperature also decreased
the corrosion resistance slightly due to the increased number of precipitated Cr-nitrides. On the other hand, the
wear resistance was significantly improved after plasma nitriding and was much less influenced by the nitriding
temperature.
Keywords: additive manufacturing, powder-bed fusion, plasma nitriding, expanded austenite, wear and corrosion resistance, Ni-based alloy
Published in DiRROS: 31.01.2024; Views: 426; Downloads: 159
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