Vacuum Nitriding of Heat-Resistant Steel After Laser Processing

Abstract

Features of formation of surface layers in steel VKS-10 (13Kh3N3M2VFB-Sh) under thermal and thermochemical treatments, i.e., laser processing with and without surface fusion and subsequent vacuum nitriding, are considered. The effect of preliminary laser treatment on the kinetics of saturation of the surface with nitrogen is studied. It is shown that the preliminary laser treatment without fusion of the surface followed by nitriding provides a higher effective thickness of the layer on steel VKS-10 and higher wear resistance of the surface than the treatment with fusion.