Technological Features for Controlling Steel Part Quality Parameters by the Method of Electrospark Alloying Using...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Engineering
• Tribology

Background:

• Surface modification is crucial for enhancing the performance and durability of critical components.
• Traditional methods often face limitations in achieving desired hardness, thickness, and continuity of surface coatings.
• Electrospark Alloying (ESA) offers a promising route for surface engineering, but requires optimization for specific applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a new surface modification method based on electrospark alloying (ESA) for producing enhanced coatings.
• To investigate the effects of nitrogen-carbon saturating media and an aluminum sublayer on coating properties.
• To assess the suitability of the developed methods for strengthening critical parts in compressor and pumping equipment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized electrospark alloying (ESA) with steel and graphite electrodes.
• Applied paste-like nitrogenous and nitrogenous-carbon saturating media.
• Introduced an aluminum sublayer using ESA prior to applying saturating media.
• Conducted nitriding, nitrocarburizing, and carburization by ESA (CESA) processes on C22 and C40 steels.
• Varied discharge energy (Wp) and analyzed coating thickness, microhardness, continuity, and surface roughness.

Main Results:

• Increased discharge energy (Wp) led to thicker, harder, and more continuous "white layer" coatings with increased surface roughness.
• Preliminary aluminum sublayer application via ESA significantly enhanced coating thickness, microhardness, and continuity with minimal change in roughness.
• Phase composition analysis revealed aluminum-containing phases, contributing to substantial increases in hardness and overall surface layer quality.
• The developed ESA methods effectively strengthened the surface layers of C22 and C40 steels.

Conclusions:

• The proposed ESA method, incorporating an aluminum sublayer and nitrogen-carbon saturating media, is effective for surface strengthening.
• This technique offers significant improvements in hardness, thickness, and continuity of surface coatings.
• The developed surface modification processes are suitable for enhancing critical components in compressor and pumping equipment.