Preparation and Performance of Nitrogen-containing Stainless Steel

Nitrogen-containing stainless steel was prepared by a novel combination of plasma nitriding and solid solution. The performance of the treated samples was evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-hardness test and electrochemical polarization. The results showed that a thick nitrogen-containing layer composed of nitrogen expanded austenite (γN) layer was obtained by the novel technology, and the corresponding γN peaks appeared at lower angles comparing with those of the untreated sample. Meanwhile, both the microhardness and corrosion resistance were enhanced in comparison with those of the untreated sample.