Roughness of the surface layers of plasma oxidation-treated ductile cast iron

The roughness of the surface layers of oxygen plasma-treated ductile cast i ron was investigated. The non-intrusive technique of optical emission spect roscopy was used to identify the oxygen plasma species. The etching behavio rs at various substrate temperatures in the oxygen plasma treatment were in vestigated using atomic force microscopy. The etching depth increased first with increasing substrate temperature, and reached maximum depth at 500 de greesC, and then decreased with increasing the substrate temperature furthe r. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.