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Effects of Gas Composition and Gas Pressure on Plasma Nitriding of Ferritic Stainless Steel Using 304 Stainless Steel Screen

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Abstract:

Conventional plasma nitriding can induce defects due to direct plasma formation on the surface of the treated material. To address this issue, the screen-assisted direct current plasma nitriding (S-DCPN) method was developed, which generates plasma on both the sample and a surrounding screen, thereby reducing such defects. In this study, S-DCPN was applied to ferritic stainless steel (SUS430) using austenitic stainless steel (SUS304) as the screen material. Treatments were performed at 633 K for 15 hours under gas pressures of 200 and 600 Pa, with varying gas compositions of 75 % N2 – 25 % H2, 50 % N2 – 50 % H2, and 25 % N2 – 75 % H2. To evaluate the effects of gas composition and pressure, a range of analyses was conducted, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), cross-sectional microstructural observations, glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD-OES), hardness testing, and corrosion testing. The results revealed the formation of the αN phase, a supersaturated solid solution of nitrogen in ferrite, under all conditions. Nitrogen diffusion and surface hardness increased with higher hydrogen content, and corrosion resistance was notably enhanced under the 25 % N2 – 75 % H2 condition. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of S-DCPN in improving the surface properties of ferritic stainless steel while maintaining or enhancing corrosion resistance.

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Periodical:

Key Engineering Materials (Volume 1044)

Pages:

51-58

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4028/p-lU7XPA

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Online since:

March 2026

Authors:

Akio Nishimoto*, Ojiro Kishimoto, Daichi Tanaka

Keywords:

Ferritic Stainless Steel, Gas Pressure, Plasma Nitriding, Screen-Assisted Direct Current Plasma Nitriding, Stainless Steel, Surface Engineering

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© 2026 Trans Tech Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved

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