Increasing Hardness and Wear Resistance of SKD61 Steel by Using Plasma Nitrocarburizing Proccess

This study observed the results of plasma nitrocarburizing processes on JIS SKD61 Steel. This research aims to use a plasma nitrocarburizing process to increase the hardness and wear resistance of JIS SKD61Steel. Before plasma nitriding was carried out, the sample had undergone a pre-treatment process. The optimum hardness value obtained after the pre-treatment process was 504 HV. The optimum hardness obtained in the plasma nitrocarburizing sample was 830 HV at temperatures 500°C for 4 hours. The optimum wear resistance or specific wear results on plasma nitrocarburizing was 0.11 x10-6mm2/kg at temperatures 400°C for 4 hours and 0.08 x10-6mm2/kg at temperature 500°C for 4 hours. XRD test results show that the phase formed in the nitrocarburizing compound layer was the iron nitride, iron carbonitride FeN, FeN0.49, ε-Fe2-3N, or ε-Fe2-3(N,C). The process of plasma nitrocarburizing has improved the mechanical properties of hardness and wear resistance of SKD61 steel.