Anodic Plasma Electrolytic Nitrocarburizing of Low-Carbon Steel

Alternating surface oxide and hardened layers were fabricated by means of anodic plasma nitrocarburizing of low-carbon steel in aqueous ammonium chloride/carbamide solutions. The effect of electrolyte composition and treatment conditions on the phase characteristics, structure and properties of the surface layers was studied. The distributions of hardness, phase and structure composition of the surface layers were defined. Controllability of diffusion saturation with nitrogen and carbon by variation of electrolyte composition and treatment temperature was shown. The formation of nitrogen and carbon, which are diffusing into the steel surface at anodic plasma electrolytic nitrocarburizing was described.