KEY ENGINEERING MATERIALS

Abstract

The present study is dealing with surface hardening of the low carbon steels. In this study, the microstructure and wear behavior of detonation pulse plasma treated AISI 8620 steel was evaluated. The conventional carburizing steel was subjected to prior surface hardening by using a liquid medium. After a carburisation for 2 hours at 900 degreesC the samples were quenched into an oil bath, heated to 250 degreesC. The surfaces of the samples were modified by nitrogen, C3H8 and oxygen gases by using plasma pulse technique. Two different battery capacities of 800 and 1000 muF and, three different sample-plasma gun nozzle distances of 60, 80 and 100 mm were chosen for surface modification. The surface modified steels were subjected to microhardness, x-ray and a ball-on-disc wear tests and the wear rates and the friction coefficient values were determined. The surface hardness and the wear resistance of the Pulsed plasma modified samples showed remarkable increments compared with carburised steel.