Mechanical and Microstructural Characterization of AISI 316L Stainless Steel Superficially Modified by Solid Nitriding Technique

AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel superficially modified by the solid nitriding technique was investigated at different nitriding times (2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 h) and at 450 °C. The microstructural characterization was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis and X-ray diffraction analyses, finding the presence of Fe2–3N, Fe4N and Cr2N, among others. The mechanical behavior of the modified surfaces was carried out by developing hardness profiles and relating it with the nitride layer thickness evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), obtaining layers up to 70 µm wide. The nitrogen diffusion produced species above and below the surface sample with a transformation from the austenitic phase to an expanded austenite (γN) phase, which is responsible for producing an increase in hardness of up to 1200 HV in the samples treated at 24 h, which is four times higher than the untreated steels. Wear evaluations of the obtained layers were performed using a pin-on-disk system under zero lubrication, indicating that the samples with 12 and 24 h of treatment present the best wear resistance promoted by an oxidative–adhesive mechanism. The obtained results are positively comparable with those of the ion nitriding technique but with a lower implementation cost.