K. Marchev et al., CONDITIONS FOR THE FORMATION OF A MARTENSITIC SINGLE-PHASE COMPOUND LAYER IN ION-NITRIDED 316L AUSTENITIC STAINLESS-STEEL, Surface & coatings technology, 99(3), 1998, pp. 225-228
The formation of a single phase structure (m) in an ion-nitrided 300 s
eries stainless steel was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, microprobe a
nd microhardness profiles. The m phase has a depth-dependent, variable
nitrogen content between 30 and 20 at. pet. N (with increasing depth)
. A time-temperature (t-T) map of m phase formation upon treatment in
65% N-2, 35% N-2 is presented for 316L steel, The m phase forms at nit
riding temperatures up to 510 degrees C but occurs as a single phase o
nly up to 480 degrees C; at higher temperatures and by long treatment
times, m is destabilized in favor of gamma' + CrN. A tetragonal (marte
nsitic) structure for m previously reported in the literature remains
tentative. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.