Enhancing Wear Resistance of AISI 1045 Steel Through Duplex Plasma Treatment with Vanadium Cage

Abstract

AISI 1045 steel is widely used in mechanical parts of industrial equipment. However, its surface mechanical properties can be improved to increase this steel's applicability and service life. This study proposes an evaluation of the feasibility of duplex treatment concerning plasma nitriding (PN) and cathodic cage plasma deposition (CCPD) for reducing wear on AISI 1045 steel. X-ray diffraction, roughness, Vickers hardness, scanning electron microscopy, and wear test results showed that duplex treatment (PN + CCPD) caused the formation of nitride phases responsible for surface hardening, a significant increase in wear resistance for samples subjected to PN and duplex treatment. However, the sample subjected to duplex treatment showed a hardness 77.2% higher than that of the sample that was only nitrided and a greater depth of surface modification, giving the duplex treatment mechanical advantages due to the longer period of time required for AISI 1045 mechanical parts.