Combined effects of magnetic field and surface treatments consisting of shot peening, plasma nitriding and their consecutive application on the friction and wear behavior of a ferromagnetic steel

Machine elements are subjected to electrical and/or magnetic field in their use and this can cause the failure of them. On the other hand, in order to extend their service life, different surface treatments such as shot peening and plasma nitriding are used. In recent years, the sequential application of these treatments has gained more attention because plasma nitriding efficiency is improved and more durable surfaces can be obtained through this method. Surface treated materials are also operated under magnetic field but their tribological performance under magnetic field is still unknown. Understanding the impact of magnetic field and surface treatments on the friction and wear behavior of the materials is the aim of the current investigation. As part of this effort, shot peening operations were performed on AISI 4140 low-alloy steel at the intensities of 16 A, 20 A and 24 A and plasma nitriding were performed at 500 degrees C for 1 h and 4 h. The reciprocating pin-on-disc wear tests were performed with and without magnetic field application. XRD, SEM, microhardness tester and 3D optical mi-croscope were used for the characterization of the samples. Plasma nitriding, shot peening, and their consecutive application increased the material's wear resistance. Magnetic field application provided further enhancement in wear resistance, as the surfaces of the samples were oxidized and the particles formed during the sliding were removed from the wear zone. Untreated and shot peened samples exhibited adhesive wear, whereas abrasive wear was also observed in plasma nitrided samples. Magnetic field did not change the wear mechanisms of the samples. However, due to surface oxidation and removal of the particles, narrower wear marks were observed in the samples worn under magnetic field compared with the wear marks obtained without applying magnetic field.

Journal

MATERIALS TODAY COMMUNICATIONS

Year

2023

Volume

37

eISSN

2352-4928

DOI

10.1016/j.mtcomm.2023.107467

WoS UID

WOS:001104254300001