High-frequency Ion Nitriding Process

In this paper, we studied the nitriding process of materials such as Aluminum, 4Cr14Ni14W2Mo steel, stainless steel and Titanium, by chosen an Alternating Current High Frequency (ACHE) power source as the working electric source of our plasma reactor. Various specimens were treated under different conditions. According to the result of Scan Electrron Microscopy (SEM) analyse and microhardness test, we have made a success in nitriding all of the samples to some extent except Aluminum samples. And the treated samples erosion resistance were improved. It抯 believed that impurity gas, especially oxygen, can baffle the nitriding progress very hard.We also studied the possibility of inducing uniform and stable glow discharge under one atmospheric pressure. We choosed a Direct Current & High Voltage Jmpulsing (DCHVI) power source, which output voltage ranges from 0 to 60KV, impulse duration is less than 300ns, leading-edge pulse time is less than 5Ons and repeat frequency ranges from 0 to 200Hz, as the working electric source of the plasma reactor. It抯 found that only when the proper process was chosen could we get uniform and stable glow discharge in pure nitrogen gas under the pressure O.O3MPa. It抯 still very difficult to induce glow discharge under one atmospheric pressure due to capability of our equipment.