X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques including stress measurement were applied to untreated, low temperature plasma nitrided and low temperature plasma carburised AISI 304 austenitic stainless steels treated at 425°C for 12 h in H2/N2 and H2/CH4 gases respectively. Relationships between surface microhardness and XRD peak broadening were established. The results also showed that both surface treated layers were under a compressive residual stress. The compressive residual stresses of the low temperature plasma nitrided and the low temperature plasma carburised layers were 2·19 and 1·58 GPa.
FitzpatrickME, FlyAE, HoldwayP, KandilFA, ShackletonJ, SuominenL: ‘Determination of residual stresses by X-ray diffraction’, National Measurement Good Practice Guide No. 52, National Physics Laboratory, Teddington, UK, 2002.
12.
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