Abstract
The principal goal of this work is to present experimental details and results regarding the determination of the diffusion profiles (concentration as a function of the diffusion depth) for nitrogen and carbon, corresponding to three different materials (two low-alloyed steel grades and a pearlite-ferrite cast iron), thermochemically treated by oxidant nitrocarburizing. The spectral analysis was done using RF-GD-OES techniques. The paper presents, as well, aspects concerning the structural characterization of the nitrocarburized samples, especially an analysis over the correlation of the thickness of the white layer, generated in the structure during the thermochemical treatment, with the carbon content from the structure. There are mentioned, as well, the results of the hardness tests, revealing the influence of the superficial treatment on durability.
Keywords: spectral surface analysis, oxinitrocarburizing, quantitative depth profile