Quantitative Analysis on Carbon Migration in Double-Glow Discharge Plasma Surface Alloying Process

Carbon migration is of great significance in double-glow discharge plasma surface alloying process, but literature of quantitative analysis about carbon migration is relatively scarce. In this paper differential equations of the carbon and metal concentration distribution were established. By means of differential equations carbon migration was described and a numerical solution was acquired. The computational results fit the experiment results quite well.

Plasma Niobium Surface Alloying of Pure Titanium and its Oxidation at 900 ℃

A niobium-modified layer on pure titanium surface was obtained by means of double glow plasma surface alloying technique. The modified layer was uniform, continuous, compact and well adhered to the substrate. The niobium composition in the modified layer decreased gradually from the surface to the substrate. The oxidation behavior of the niobium-modified layer was investigated and com- pared with the untreated surface at 900 ~C for 100 h. Characterization of the layers was performed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope, respectively. The test results show that the oxidation behavior of pure titanium was improved by niobium alloying process. Niobium has a positive influence on the oxidation resistance.

Oxidation behavior of niobized TiAl by plasma surface alloying

Plasma surface alloying of element Nb in TiAl-based alloys and the oxidation behavior were studied. The composition and microstructure of the surface alloyed layers were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy （SEM）,energy dispersive X-ray analysis （EDX）,and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The experimental results indicate that the diffusion layers are formed on the TiAl substrate during the plasma niobizing process. The result from oxidation resistance investigation shows that plasma niobizing greatly improves the oxidation resistance of TiAl compared with the untreated TiAl. The role of element Nb for improving the oxidation resistance is considered to be achieved by strengthening the activity of Al,which is induced by the plasma niobizing process.

Microstructure and corrosion resistance of Fe-Al intermetallic coating on 45 steel synthesized by double glow plasma surface alloying technology

A binary Fe-Al alloyed layer was synthesized on 45 steel by means of double glow plasma surface alloying technique. The corrosion-resisting layer prepared is composed of a sedimentary layer and a diffusion layer, with a total thickness of about 180 μm. The aluminum content of the alloyed layer shows gradual change from surface to the inside of substrate. The ideal profile is beneficial to the metallurgical bonding of the surface alloying layer with substrate materials. The microstructure of both layers consists of the Fe-Al intermetallic compound, which is FeAl with B2 structure in the sedimentary layer and Fe3Al with incompletely ordered DO3 structure in the diffusion layer. The protective film exhibits high micro-hardness. In comparison with the substrate of 45 steel, the corrosion resistance of the aluminized sample is much higher in 2.0% Na2S and 0.05 mol/L Na2SO4 + 0.5 mol/L NaCl mixed solutions.

Effects of C,N-Codoped on the Corrosion Resistance of TiO_2 Films Prepared by Plasma Surface Alloying and Thermal Oxidation Duplex Process

C,N-codoped TiO 2 films have been deposited onto stainless steel substrates using plasma surface alloying and thermal oxidation duplex process.Composition analysis shows that the films shield the substrates entirely.The TiO 2 films are anatase in structure as characterized by X-ray diffraction.The electrochemical measurements show that the equilibrium corrosion potential positively shifts from-0.275 eV for bare stainless steel to-0.267 eV for C,N-codoped TiO 2 coated stainless steel,and the corrosion current density decreases from 1.3×10-5 A/cm2 to 4.1×10-6 A/cm2.The corrosion resistance obtained by electrochemistry noise also reveals that the C,N-codoped TiO 2 films provide good protection for stainless steel against corrosion in stimulated body fluid.The above results indicate that C,N-codoped TiO 2 films deposited by plasma surface alloying and thermal oxidation duplex process are effective in protecting stainless steel from corrosion.

Plasma surface alloying of titanium alloy for enhancing burn-resistant property

Conventional titanium alloy may be ignited and burnt under high temperature, high pressure and high gas flow velocity condition. In order to avoid this problem,burn-resistant alloying layers were made on the surface of Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6.5Al-0.3Mo-1.5Zr-0.25Si titanium alloys by using double glow plasma surface alloying technology (DG Technology). Two typical burn-resistant layers Ti-Cr and Ti-Mo were made by DG plasma chromizing and DG plasma molybdenizing, respectively. Burn-resistant properties were tested by layer ignition method using 2 kW laser machine. Ignition experiments result reveals that the ignition temperature of alloyed layer with Mo and Cr concentration above 10% is about 200℃higher than ignition temperature of Ti-6Al-4V substrate.

COMPARISON OF SURFACE PROPERTIES OF Ti-6Al-4V COATED WITH TITANIUM NITRIDE, TiN+TiC+Ti(C,N)/DLC, TiN/DLC AND TiC/DLC FILMS BY PLASMA-BASED ION IMPLANTATION

The surface properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy coated with titanium nitride, TiN+TiC+Ti(C,N)/DLC (diamond like carbon), TiN/DLC and TiC/DLC films by plasma-based ion implantation (PBII) with nitrogen, PBII with nitrogen then acetylene, PBII with nitrogen then glow discharge deposition with acetylene plus hydrogen and PBII with acetylene then glow discharge deposition with acetylene plus hydrogen respectively were studied. The corresponding films are found getting dimmer, showing light gold or gold, smoky color (uneven), light red in black (uneven), and graphite black separately. The corresponding film resistivities are given. Antioxidation ability of the titanium nitride film is poor, while the existence of carbon (or carbide) improves the antioxidation ability of the films. Having undergone excellent intermediate transitional region of nitrogen and carbon implantation, the top DLC layer of the TiN+TiC+Ti(C,N)/DLC multilayer are formed after the carbon implantation has the best adhesion with the substrate among all the multilayers. Although microhardness of the samples increases in the order of coatings of titanium nitride, TiN/DLC, TiN+TiC+Ti(C,N)/DLC and TiC/DLC, the TiN/DLC and TiC/DLC multilayers have greater brittleness as compared with other films.

Surface characterization and corrosion behavior of calcium phosphate(Ca-P)base composite layer on Mg and its alloys using plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO):A review

Magnesium has been known as an appropriate biological material on account of its good biocompatibility and biodegradability properties in addition to advantageous mechanical properties.Mg and its alloys are of poor corrosion resistance.Its high corrosion rate leads to its quick decomposition in the corrosive ambiance and as a result weakening its mechanical properties and before it is repaired,it will vanish.The corrosion and degradation rate must be controlled in the body to advance the usage of Mg and its alloys as implants.Different techniques have been utilized to boost biological properties.Plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)can provide porous and biocompatible coatings for implants among various techniques.Biodegradable implants are generally supposed to show enough corrosion resistance and mechanical integrity in the body environment.Much research has been carried out in order to produce PEO coatings containing calcium phosphate compounds.Calcium phosphates are really similar to bone mineral composition and present great biocompatibility.The present study deals with the usage of calcium phosphates as biocompatible coatings applied on Mg and its alloys to study the properties and control the corrosion rate.

Cooperative effect of surface alloying and laser texturing on tribological performance of lubricated surfaces

The cooperative effect of laser surface texturing(LST) and double glow plasma surface alloying on tribological performance of lubricated sliding contacts was investigated.A Nd:YAG laser was used to generate microdimples on steel surfaces. Dimples with the diameter of 150μm and the depth of 30-35μm distributed circumferentially on the disc surface.The alloying element Cr was sputtered to the laser texturing steel surface by double glow plasma technique.A deep diffusion layer with a thickness of 30μm and a high hardness of HV900 was formed in this alloy.Tribological experiments of three types of samples(smooth,texturing and texturing+alloying) were conducted with a ring-on-disc tribometer to simulate the face seal.It is found that,in comparison with smooth steel surfaces,the laser texturing samples significantly reduce the friction coefficient.Moreover,the lower wear rate of the sample treated with the two surface techniques is observed.

Tribological Properties of Dimpled Surface Alloying Layer on Carbon Steel

The effect of surface structure and coating on tribological properties of 45^# carbon steel disc was analyzed. A Nd：YAG laser was used to generate rnicrodirnples on steel surfaces. Dimples with diameter of 150 rn and depth of 50 rn were distributed in an orbicular array on disc surface. Then the alloying element Mo was sputtered to 45# carbon steel disc surface by means of double glow plasma technology. Diffusion Mo alloying layer with 30min thickness and high hardness up to 0.025 was formed on the disc surface. Tribological experiments of three types samples （smooth, texturing and texturing＋alloying） were conducted with a pin-on-disc tribometer. It is found that the dimpled-samples are most effective for reducing friction in comparison with smooth steel surthces, improving the lubricating state from boundary to hydrodynamic region.

Study on Mo Diffusion in Double Glow Plasma Surface Molybdenizing of Ti_2AlNb

Ti2AlNb orthorhombic alloy is an attractive high temperature structural material for aero-industries due to its high specific strength and fracture toughness as well as excellent creep resistance. However, insufficient wear-resistance is the main drawback which restricts the actual uses of this alloy in many circumstances. A double glow plasma surface molybdenizing on Ti2AlNb alloy is carried out as an attempt to resolve this problem. This paper deals with the effects of key process parameters on the diffusion behavior of Mo. The composition distribution and microstructare of the alloying layer are analyzed by SEM, XRD and GDS. Micro-hardness distribution profile is measured along the distance from surface to center. The results indicate that both the temperature and the processing time have significant effects on the diffusion process. Finally, the dif- fusion coefficient at optimized temperature of 980℃ is calculated through regression analysis.

Double Glow Plasma Surface Alloyed Burn-resistant Titanium Alloy

Conventional titanium alloy may be ignited and burnt under high temperature, high pressure and high gas flow velocity condition. In order to avoid this problem, we have developed a new kind of burn-resistant titanium alloy—double glow plasma surface alloying burn-resistant titanium alloy. Alloying element Cr , Mo, Cu are induced into the TJ-6A1-4V and Ti-6.5Al-0.3Mo-l.5Zr-0.25Si substrates according to double glow discharge phenomenon, Ti-Cr ,Ti-Mo, Ti-Cu binary burn-resistant alloy layers are formed on the surface of Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6.5Al-0.3Mo-l.5Zr-0.25Si alloys. The depth of the surface burn-resistant alloy layer can reach to above 200 microns and alloying element concentration can reach 90%. Burn-resistant property experiments reveal that if Cr concentration reach to 14%, Cu concentration reach to 12%, Mo concentration reach to 10% in the alloying layers, ignition and burn of titanium alloy can be effectively avoided.

Anti-oxidation characteristics of Cr-coating on surface of Ti-45Al-8.5Nb alloy by plasma surface metallurgy technique

TiAl-based alloys have received extensive attention recently due to their excellent properties. However, the weak oxidation resistance at temperatures higher than 800℃ can limit their further high-temperature structural applications.To improve the oxidation resistance of a high-Nb-content γ-TiAl alloy(Ti-45 Al-8.5 Nb, in units of at.%), a chromium(Cr)coating is prepared by using the plasma surface alloying technique, separately, at 800℃ and 1000℃. The x-ray diffraction(XRD) patterns reveal that an oxide surface layer consisting of Cr2O3, Al2O3, and TiO2 is produced on the Cr-coated Nb containing γ-TiAl substrates during the initial oxidation. However, the Cr2O3 is dominated in the oxide surface layer after being isothermally oxidized for 300 h. The oxidation kinetic curves are composed of a parabolic law stage(≤ 90 h) and a biquadratic law stage(≥ 90 h), fit by weight–gain curves. Due to diffusion in the fabrication process and oxidation process,the Cr-coated specimens have an adhesion force after being isothermally oxidized, specifically 69 N for a specimen after oxidation for 300 h. These results demonstrate that the Cr coating enhances the oxidation resistance and adhesion of a Ti-45 Al-8.5 Nb alloy, which may provide a new feasible scheme for designing oxidation protection layers.

A Hybrid Low Temperature Surface Alloying Process for Austenitic Stainless Steels

This paper describes a novel, hybrid process developed to engineer the surfaces of austenitic stainless steels at temperatures below 450°C for the improvement in wear and corrosion resistance. The process is carried out in the plasma of a glow discharge containing both nitrogen and carbon reactive species, and facilitates the incorporation of both nitrogen and carbon into the austenite surface to form a dual-layer structure comprising a nitrogen-rich layer on top of a carbon-rich layer. Both layers can be precipitation-free at sufficiently low processing temperatures, and contain nitrogen and carbon respectively in supersaturated fee austenite solid solutions. The resultant hybrid structure offers several advantages over the conventional low temperature nitriding and the newly developed carburizing processes in terms of mechanical and chemical properties, including higher surface hardness, a hardness gradient from the surface towards the layer-core interface, uniform layer thickness, and much enhanced corrosion resistance. This paper discusses the main features of this hybrid process and the various structural and properties characteristics of the resultant engineered surfaces.

Compounded Surface Modification of ZK60 Mg Alloy by High Current Pulsed Electron Beam+Micro-plasma Oxidation

In this study, compounded surface modification technology-high current pulsed electron beam （HCPEB） ＋ micro-plasma oxidation （MPO） was applied to treat ZK60 Mg alloys. The characteristics of the microstructure of ZK60 Mg alloy after single MPO and HCPEB＋MPO compounded treatment were investigated by SEM. The results showed that the density of the ceramic layer of HCPEB＋MPO-treated ZK60 Mg alloy was improved and defects were reduced compared to that under MPO treatment alone. Surface modified layer of ZK60 Mg alloys treated by HCPEB＋MPO was divided into three zones, namely the top loose ceramic zone, middle compact zone and inside HCPEB-induced melted zone. Corrosion resistance of ZK60 Mg alloy before and after the compounded surface modification was measured in a solution of 3.5% NaCl by potentiodynamic polarization curves. It was found that the corrosion current density of ZK60 Mg alloys could be reduced by about three orders of magnitude, from 311μA/cm^2 of the original sample to 0.2μA/cm^2 of the HCPEB＋MPO-treated sample. This indicates the great application potential of the HCPEB＋MPO compounded surface modification technology in improving the corrosion resistance of ZK60 Mg alloys in the future.

Comparison of low.pressure oxygen plasma and chemical treatments for surface modifications of Ti6Al4V

Different treatments were conducted over Ti6Al4V samples in order to produce a surface modification to increase cell attachment and proliferation.The surface treatments evaluated in this study were as follows:etching with sulfuric acid/hydrochloric acid,oxidizing with hydrogen peroxide and low-pressure oxygen plasma treatment.In contrast to other works found in the literature,this research conducts a comparison between different chemical and physical treatments in terms of different assays for surface characterization:X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscope(SEM),energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy,water contact angle,release of vanadium ions and cell viability tests(MTT)of human osteoblasts(hFOB 1.19).Cell morphology over the different substrates was also studied by SEM observation.It was found that plasma and peroxide treatments increase the O/Ti ratio at the titanium surface and provide an increase in cell affinity.On the other hand,acid etching provides a superhydrophilic surface which is not able to improve the cell attachment of human osteoblasts.

Deposition of DLC Coating on Biomedical TiNi Alloys by Plasma Based Ion Implantation to Improve Surface Properties

Diamond-like carbon （DLC） films were successfully deposited on Ti- 50.8 at% Ni using plasma based ion implantation （PBII） technique. The influence of the pulsed negative bias voltage applied to the substrate from 12 kV to 40 kV on the microstracture, nano-indentation hardness and Young＇ s modulus, the surface characteristics and corrosion resistant property as well as hemocompatibility were investigated. The experimental resalts showed that C 1 s peak depended heavily on the bias voltage. With the increase of bias voltage, the ratio of sp2 / sp3 first decreased, reaching a minimum value at 20 kV, and then increased. The DLC coating deposited at 20 kV showed the highest hardness and elastic modulus values as a result of lower sp2/sp3 ratio. The RMS values first decreased from 7.202nm（12 kV） to 5.279 nm（20 kV）, and then increased to 11.449 nm（30 kV） and 7.060 nm（ 40 kV）. The uncoated TiNi alloy showed severe pitting corrosion, due to the presence of Cl-ions in the solution. On the contrary, the DLC coated sample showed very little pitting corrosion and behaved better corrosion resistant property especially for the specimens deposited at 20 kV bias voltages. The platelet adhesion test show that the hemocompatibility of DLC coated TiNi alloy is much better than that of bare TiNi alloy, and the hemocompatibility performance of DLC coated TiNi alloy deposited at 20 kV is superior to that of other coated specimens.

Nucleation and growth behavior of coating film on Mg–Al–Zn alloy with different surface topographies via plasma electrolytic oxidation

This work was made to investigate how nucleation and growth behavior of the coating film were affected by surface topographies of Mg–Al–Zn alloy substrate during the initial stage of plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO).To satisfy this end,a single substrate was prepared by mechanical treatment exhibiting rough and smooth regions with an equal area on the surface.The rough region with prominent hills and grooves induced the breakdown of passive film,which was indicated by an early appearance of plasma discharge on the rough region since nucleation of coating film occurred preferentially around the hills.However,the coating film grown on the grooves was somewhat thicker and more porous than the film grown on the hills and smooth regions.This was due to the fact that the growth of the coating film was found to be localized in the presence of rough region,which was in line with the discharge activities.Herein,the nucleation and growth behavior during the initial stage of PEO will be discussed schematically on the basis of microstructural interpretation.

Porosity and surface roughness simulation of nickel-aluminum coating in plasma spray forming

As the important evaluation parameters concerning the spray qualities, the porosity and surface roughness of the coatings obtained by thermal spray forming have great influence on their forming accuracy, mechanical properties and service lifetime. But it is difficult to predict or control the two parameters for such a highly nonlinear process. A two-dimensional simulation of coating porosity and surface roughness of nickel-aluminum alloy (Ni-5%Al) in plasma spray forming was presented, which was based on the multi-dimensional statistical behaviors of the droplets as well as the simplification and digitization of the typical splat cross sections. Further analysis involving the influence of the droplet diameters and the scanning velocities of the spray gun on the two parameters was conducted. The simulation and analysis results indicate that the porosity and surface roughness are more influenced by the droplet diameters, but less influenced by the spray gun velocities. The results will provide basis for the prediction or control of coating mechanical properties by depositing parameters.

FORMATION OF GRADIENT COATING OF Fe-BASED ALLOY WITH RARE EARTHS BY PLASMA SURFACING

A gradient coating of Fe-based alloy was manufactured with rare earths (RE) by plasma surfacing on Q235 steel substrate. The coatings were studied by using X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscope(SEM), differential thermal analyzer(DTA), and electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). The results show that the phases of the two kinds of coatings(with and without RE) both include α-Fe, Fe7C3, Fe3C, Cr2B, Fe2B and FeB. The microstructure of F314 coating is mainly hypereutectic, the pro-phases Cr7C3 and Cr2B are loose, crassi, spiculate and contain microcracks. The brittleness of the coating is high, and the average hardness is 787 HV. When 0.8wt% RE was added into the F314 alloy, the microstructure varied from hypoeutectic to hypereutectic continuously, The hardness appears as gradient distribution with the highest value of 773 HV, meanwhile, the brittleness decreases significantly. The formation of gradient structure depends on the fallowing factors: (i) the conversion of RE. The addition of RE lowers the elements point and Fe-C eutectic temperature, thus the base metal melting acutely. (ii) the heating of plasma arc. Graded temperature results in directional solidification, thus the gradient structure forms easily. The main reasons for the hardness decrease with RE addition in the alloy are the ratio of hard phase lowering and the hardness of the hard phase decreasing.