Pack-boriding of Sleipner steel: microstructure analysis and kinetics modeling

Abstract

Abstract In this research work, we subjected the Sleipner steel to pack-boronizing within the temperature range of 1173–1323 K, lasting from 1 to 10 h. Our study involved assessing the steel’s microstructure by examining interphase morphology and measuring the layers’ thicknesses through scanning electron microscopy. To determine the phase composition of the boronized layers, we employed X-ray diffraction analysis. Furthermore, we investigated the redistribution of certain elements during the boronizing process using EDS mapping and EDS point analysis. The boride layers were found to consist of FeB and Fe2B phases. We conducted microhardness testing using the Vickers method on the diffusion zone, Fe2B, and FeB. Lastly, we utilized a diffusion model to evaluate the activation energies of boron in FeB and Fe2B, and we presented the results in terms of activation energies.