Development and evolution of compressive residual stress during nitriding treatment are studied. A model carbon iron-based alloy Fe-3wt.%Cr-0.35wt.%C was nitrided in gas at 550 °C for different times. Microstructural investigation indicated an influence of the transformation and the associated carbon diffusion on the in-situ relaxation of residual stress induced by nitride precipitation. The transformation of initially present carbides into nitrides and the associated carbon accumulation ahead of the nitriding front is particularly taken into account. The distribution of residual stress in the nitrided case was predicted with a self-consistent mechanical model, using the volume changes associated with the phase transformations. To this end the nitrogen and carbon concentration distributions were converted into the equilibrium phase fractions of carbides and nitrides. An excellent correlation was obtained between experimental (X-ray diffraction analysis) and, thus, calculated independent residual stress distributions in the ferrite matrix.
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