Friction and wear behavior of plasma nitrided 1Cr18Ni9Ti austenitic stainless steel under lubrication condition

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. A, Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing, 2005-08, Vol.402 (1), p.135-141
• Main Authors: Xia, Yanqiu, Hu, Junhong, Zhou, Feng, Lin, Yimin, Qiao, Yulin, Xu, Tao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Extreme pressure and anti-wear additives; Friction and wear behavior; Hardness; Mechanical properties and methods of testing. Rheology. Fracture mechanics. Tribology; Metals. Metallurgy; Nonmetallic coatings; Plasma nitriding; Production techniques; Stainless steel; Surface treatment
• ISSN: 0921-5093; 1873-4936
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2005.04.012

1Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel was modified by plasma nitriding. The phase composition of the plasma nitrided layer was examined by means of X-ray diffraction. The friction and wear properties of the modified and unmodified stainless steel specimens sliding against SAE52100 steel under the lubrication of liquid paraffin containing various anti-wear and extreme pressure additives were investigated on an Optimol SRV oscillating friction and wear tester, with the interactions among the modified surface layer and the lubricating additives sulphurized olefin (SO) and phosphate amine salt (PN) to be focused on. The morphologies of the worn surfaces were observed using a scanning electron microscope. The chemical states of several typical elements on the worn surfaces of the modified steel surfaces were examined by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Results showed that the modified sample had better friction-reducing and anti-wear abilities than the unmodified one. This was partly attributed to the change in the hardness and phase composition of the stainless steel surfaces after plasma nitriding and tribochemical reactions among the stainless steel and the extreme pressure and anti-wear additives. The resultant surface-protective films composed of various tribochemical products together with the adsorbed boundary lubricating film contributed to reduce the friction and wear.