Mechanical and Physical Properties of Carbon S-Phase on Stainless Steel, Produced by Carbon Supersaturation

摘要

While the excellent corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steels has resulted in wide commercial application of these materials, poor tribological behavior, especially low abrasive / adhesive wear resistance and a tendency to fretting, has prevented the use of these materials in applications where both corrosion and wear resistance are required. Conventional hardening processes, such as nitriding, result in a decrease of the corrosion resistance. For more than 20 years, the Kolsterising~? process has offered a solution to industry; enhanced wear properties and unaltered corrosion resistance. Suitable for austenitic and duplex stainless steels, this thermo-chemical diffusion process enriches the austenitic surface with carbon, forming a carbon supersaturated layer or carbon S-phase while avoiding the carbide precipitation that causes sensitization. This paper compares the properties of treated and untreated austenitic stainless steels. Results show improvement in wear resistance and fatigue life with Kolsterising~?, while corrosion resistance is unaffected.