Abstract
UDC 544.558+66.088
DOI https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3747845
Cathodic carburising of low-carbon steel 20 followed by hardening and subsequent anodic plasma electrolytic polishing were performed. The structure of the surface layer and its elemental composition were determined. The distribution of microhardness in the layer and its surface roughness were measured. The surface layer microhardness exceeded 900 HV after carburising in a solution of ammonium chloride and glycerol at 900°C for 20 minutes. It was established that an increase in the surface roughness to 9 μm after cathodic carburising is associated with the formation and destruction of the outer oxide layer. A possibility to reduce the surface roughness to 3.5 μm by anodic polishing in a 3% solution of ammonium chloride for 180 s is shown.
Keywords: plasma electrolytic carburising, plasma electrolytic polishing, steel, microstructure, surface roughness, surface morphology.