TRIBOLOGICAL AND CORROSION PROPERTIES OF 45 AND 65G STEELS USED IN AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY AFTER ELECTROLYTIC-PLASMA HARDENING

The article examines the effect of electrolytic plasma hardening on the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of steels 45 and 65G, which are used in the production of agricultural machinery components. The presented results demonstrate the improvement of the surface properties of steel through the application of electrolytic plasma hardening. This technology provides rapid heating and cooling, which contributes to the formation of a fine-grained and hardened surface layer, as evidenced by microstructural studies conducted using an optical metallographic microscope. Tribological tests showed an improvement in wear resistance after electrolytic plasma hardening: the wear volume for steel 45 was 3,03×10 -4 mm³, and for steel 65G it was 6,17×10 -5 mm³, which is 7 and 4,5 times less than the wear volume for the initial samples, respectively. The analysis of polarization curves showed that the corrosion current density decreased compared to the initial sample. For steel samples 45 and 65G after three cycles of electrolytic plasma hardening, the corrosion current densities were 6,87×10^-6 A/cm² and 1,61×10^-7 A/cm², respectively. Additionally, a shift in the corrosion potential towards more positive values was noted, indicating an increase in corrosion resistance. The results of the study demonstrate significant improvements in the tribological and corrosion properties of steels 45 and 65G after electrolytic plasma hardening, providing valuable data for industrial applications.