Heat Treatment of Stainless Steels

Previous heat treatment inducing different plasma nitriding behaviors in martensitic stainless steels

In this work we report a study of the induced changes in structure and corrosion behavior of martensitic stainless steels nitrided by plasma immersion ion implantation (PI3) at different previous heat treatments. The samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction and glancing angle x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and potentiodynamic measur...

Reduction in hydrogen outgassing from stainless steels by a medium-temperature heat treatment

Application of Polymeric Quenchants in Heat Treatment of Steels

Aqueous polymer quenchants are being used increasingly in steel heat treatment industries as a substitution for conventional quenchants. By adjusting the quench parameters of the polymeric media, it is possible to achieve desirable microstructure and mechanical properties in addition to reduction in distortion and cracking. In this work, Polyalkylene Glycol (PAG) aqueous solution was used as th...

Low-Temperature Carburization of Austenitic Stainless Steels

LOW-TEMPERATURE CARBURIZATION is a gaseous carburization process performed at atmospheric pressure, at temperatures where the kinetics of substitutional diffusion are very slow. Low-temperature carburization hardens the surface of austenitic stainless steels through the diffusion of interstitial carbon, without the formation of carbides. The surface must be activated, by modification and remova...

Development of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels

This paper presents the results of the continued development of creep-resistant, alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) stainless steel alloys, which exhibit a unique combination of excellent oxidation resistance via protective alumina (Al2O3) scale formation and high-temperature creep strength through the formation of stable nano-scale MC carbides and intermetallic precipitates. Efforts in fiscal ye...