Effect of Conventional and Cathodic Cage Plasma Nitriding on the Mechanical and Corrosion Behavior of AISI 420 Martensitic Stainless Steel
AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel was treated via conventional plasma nitriding (PN) and cathodic cage plasma nitriding (CCPN) at temperatures ranging from 400 to 500 °C for 5 h to enhance surface properties. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses confirmed uniform nitride layer formation, and microhardness measurements showed a peak hardness of 1270 HV<sub>0</sub>.<sub>5</sub> for PN at 500 °C. Notably, CCPN at 450 °C achieved similar hardness (1011 HV<sub>0</sub>.<sub>5</sub>) alongside excellent adhesion (HF1-HF2), highlighting the effectiveness of the cathodic cage technique. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and open-circuit potential tests in 3.5 wt % NaCl showed improved corrosion resistance in all nitrided samples compared to the untreated steel. These results indicate that specific nitriding conditions, particularly PN at 450 °C and CCPN at 400 °C, achieve an optimal balance of hardness, corrosion protection, and interfacial toughness while preserving the substrate's inherent microstructure.
Authors
- Renan Matos Monção (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4893-9976)
- Juliermes Carvalho Pereira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3268-0197)
- Maxwell Santana Libório (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1579-8775)
- Thércio Henrique de Carvalho Costa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6818-1536)
- Ediones Maciel de Sousa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5174-1077)
- André Felipe Soares do Monte e Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9725-5234)
- Anthunes Íkaro de Araújo
- João Rodrigues de Barros Neto
- Rômulo Ribeiro Magalhães de Sousa
- Luciano Lucas Fernandes Lima
- Michelle Cequeira Feitor
Institutions
- Graduate Hospital (US)
- Universidade Federal do Piauí (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (BR)
- Naval Postgraduate School (US)
- Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education (CZ)
- Federal College of Education, Kano (NG)
- Postgraduate Center for Mental Health (US)
- Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (NG)
- Federal Institute for Education Development (RU)
- Post Graduate Medical Institute (PK)
- Universidade Estadual do Maranhão (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Omega
- Published
- 2026-01-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.5c08647
- Primary Topic
- Metal and Thin Film Mechanics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00