Structure Formation Processes During the Plasma Cementation of Steel and the Subsequent Heat Treatment

Abstract

The article represents the results of investigating the structure of the layers, obtained using the specimens of lowcarbon steel, subjected to plasma cementation. The dependence of their structure on the percentage of graphite in the coating, which served as a carbon source, is established. The influence of the subsequent heat treatment of specimens after plasma cementation in the macroand micro-smelting regime to form the graphite inclusions in the structure has been studied. Heat treatment consisted in conducting of annealing under different conditions. Keywords—formation process; plasma; cementation; steel; heat treatment