• Wierzchoń, Tadeusz
• Zych, Adam
• Kulikowski, Krzysztof
• Kucharska, Beata

Abstract

Modern industry expects comprehensive solutions in terms of ensuring adequate exploitation properties of materials, such as high hardness, wear resistance, fatigue strength and corrosion resistance in aggressive environments. These requirements can be met via surface treatments, especially vigorously developed in recent years hybrid technologies, which merge various methods in the aspect of composite layers production. Those layers are characterized by complementing or entirely new properties in comparison to layers or coatings manufactured in separate processes. In this study the plasma nitriding process and electroless nickel plating are combined. In the production of composite layers consisting of surface layer and coating, in this particular case it is essential to ensure good adhesion of the Ni(P) coating to nitrided substrate. This paper presents microstructure (light microscopy), microhardness (crosssection and surface), surface roughness and scratch test results after different variants and steps of treatment of heat treated 1.2343 (WCL) steel. The study was conducted on the nitrided layers varying in structure and surface topography due to grinding prior to electroless nickel plating. The results show that heat treatment subsequent to electroless nickel plating leads to increase in composite layers’ hardness and adhesion of Ni(P) coating to nitrided layer. Moreover, Ni(P) coating might act as a solid lubricant in some cases.

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• microstructure
• surface
• nickel
• corrosion
• grinding
• wear resistance
• strength
• steel
• fatigue
• composite
• hardness
• Phosphorus
• microscopy