The Role of Diffusion Media in Nitriding Process on Surface Layers Characteristics of AISI 4140 with and without Hard Chrome Coatings

The surface layer characteristics of the AISI 4140 tool steel treated by nitriding gas before and after hard chrome plating utilizing pure nitrogen diffusion media (fluidized bed reactor) and the without gas (muffle reactor) has been studied experimentally. The result shows that nitriding substrate with hard chrome layers has nitrogen atoms concentration almost twice greater than that without hard chrome layers. After being given a hard chrome plating, nitriding on AISI 4140 steel generally has a nitrogen concentration of up to 4 times more than the substrate without hard chrome coating. Almost the entire specimen showed the highest concentration of N atoms in the area below the surface (hardening depth of 200 to 450 ?m). N atoms diffusion depth profile has a correlation with hardening depth profile, especially on the specimens layered with hard chromium. The substrate without hard chrome plating tends to have higher surface hardness than the sub-surface. The results show that the effectiveness and efficiency of the gas nitriding diffusion process can be produced without the use of gas in the muffle reactor but the specimens must be hard chromium coated first. This phenomenon can be explained by the role of the passive layer formation that works as a barrier to keeps the spreading of N atoms concentrated in sub-surface areas.