Thermo-Chemical Treatment of Structural Steels in Different Types of Discharge

The paper studies the process of gas nitriding of iron and steels in an electric discharge. Data were obtained on the acceleration of the process of saturation with nitrogen compared to traditional furnace nitriding. The rate of formation of both the nitrided layer as a whole and of the compound zone increases. At the same time, the process can efficiently proceed both with and without additional heating of the muffle. As controlling parameters fpr kinetics of the layer growth, the electric discharge current density and the temperature of heating the muffle are used. The regulatory effect of saturating environment parameters was studied during nitriding in a glow discharge.