Abstract
The influence of nitrogen ion implantation on the structure and wear behaviour of unpolished 304 stainless steel has been studied. Glancing angle X -ray diffraction before implantation showed that the specimens contain some bcc and hcp (martensite) phases, whereas after implantation iron nitrides were observed, accompanied by a reduction in the martensite content. In general, sliding wear measurements revealed that nitrogen implantation improved the wear performance, except at applied loads greater than 40 N. Microhardness measurements inside the wear tracks were higher for the unimplanted specimens, and only a small increase in hardness existedfor the implanted specimen after testing at low loads. At loads higher than 40 N there was little difference in the amount of wear between the implanted and unimplanted specimens. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X -ray analysis have been used to characterise the differences in the mode of wear between unimplanted and implanted specimens.
MST/3081
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