Evolution of high-carbon steel structure under plasma modification

The microstructure, phase composition and parameters of the crystalline structure of high-carbon steels (65G, U8, U10) during plasma surface modification were studied. It was established that after processing of steels with a highly concentrated plasma jet the hardness increases in 3.5–4.5 times compared to the initial state (normalization) and in 150–200 HV compared to volume quenching. This is due to the formation of a highly dispersed martensitic carbide structure with an increased density of dislocations in the modified zone. The conditions for such mechanisms of phase and structural transformations in steels during plasma modification, which ensure obtaining the optimal level of operational properties, are established