Features of formation of diffusion zone obtained on steel 20 by boriding in induction furnace

The article presents data on studies of iron borides synthesis during induction heating to 1000 °C for 5 min of steel 20 samples with a coating from a charge containing Fe – H3BO3. Content of boric acid in the charge varied from 25 to 75 % wt. Charge in the experiments could be diluted with a solution of liquid glass in water with addition of small amount of ammonium hydroxide and coal. Study of the surface layer microhardness showed that during saturation of the surface layer of carbon steel 20 with boron, a macroscopically extensive diffusion zone 900 – 1000 μm in size is formed, in which the boride content gradually decreases when moving deeper into the matrix. Such a size of the diffusion zone indicates an anomalously high mass transfer during boriding of steel 20. Indeed, the calculated diffusion coefficient during boriding under induction conditions (about 1.35·10–9 m2/s) is two orders of magnitude higher than the diffusion coefficient in the classical boriding. X-ray studies showed that, under the considered conditions, Fe2B and FeB borides are synthesized, and a solid solution of boron in α­iron is also formed. An analysis of phase composition of the diffusion zone structural components indicates that, from the surface to the matrix, formation of boride phases occurs in the following sequence: FeB → Fe2B → (α­phase + B) → base metal. Microstructure of the diffusion zone consists of more or less pronounced layers consisting of FeB and Fe2B boride phases. On the whole, especially deep-ying regions of the diffusion zone are a composite material consisting of plastic α-phase and iron boride crystals. Crystals in FeB and Fe2B in the layer are oriented mainly perpendicular to the diffusion front. Perhaps, this is due to the rapid predominant growth of the boride phase under conditions of high diffusion mobility of boron atoms in one direction and hindered in others.