Study on the Phase Composition and Microstructure of Ti-8Al-1Mo-1V After Surface Plasma Nitriding

Abstract

The application of titanium alloys is limited due to their low surface hardness and wear resistance, especially for parts operating under friction and contact loads. One of the most widely used technologies for the thermochemical treatment of titanium alloys is gas nitriding. A new method in this direction is surface plasma gas nitriding using indirect arc plasmatrons operating in a chamber with a controlled nitrogen atmosphere. In the present work, the changes in the phase transformations, microstructure, and surface hardness of titanium alloy Ti-8Al-1Mo-1V after plasma gas nitriding at the power of 18 kW, and 25 kW for a time between 5 and 30 minutes are studied. The plasma gas nitriding with the indirect plasmatron of the titanium alloy produced continuous surface layers. Analysis of the surface showed the presence of TiN and TiO2. The thickness of the plasma gas nitrided layers ranges between 100 μm and 350 μm, depending on the technological parameters.