PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Slezák, Martin
AU  - Uhríčik, Milan
AU  - Palček, Peter
AU  - Chvalníková, Veronika
AU  - Drímalová, Petra
AU  - Šikyňa, Lukáš
TI  - Effect of Plasma Nitriding and Sensitization on the Microstructure and Microhardness of AISI 304 Austenitic Steel
DP  - 2023 Dec 22
TA  - Manufacturing Technology Journal
PG  - 909--916
VI  - 23
IP  - 6
AID - 10.21062/mft.2023.087
IS  - 12132489
AB  - This article deals with the influence of plasma nitriding and sensitization on the microstructure and microhardness of AISI 304 austenitic steel. The microstructure of AISI 304 austenitic steel in all states was observed on a Neophot 32 optical microscope. The initial structure consisted of polyhedral austenite grains of different sizes. The microstructure contained a large number of non-metallic MnS-based inclu-sions. After plasma nitriding, a continuous nitriding layer was formed under the steel surface, while the grain shape was preserved. After the processes of sensitization and plasma nitriding followed by sensiti-zation, carbides were excluded along the austenitic grain boundaries were excluded. The nitriding layer began to deteriorate due to temperature and length of sensitization. Vickers microhardness measure-ment on a Zwick/Roell ZHμ machine proved that the nitriding layer is reaching the high hardnesses compared to the core of samples. After sensitization, the nitrided samples achieved only slightly in-creased microhardness compared to the core. Finally, EDX analysis of the nitriding layer was performed on the SEM and compared with the layer that was affected by the sensitization process.