Low-Temperature Nitriding of Deformed Austenitic Stainless Steels with Various Nitrogen Contents Obtained by Prior High-Temperature Solution Nitriding

In the past decades, high nitrogen steels (HNS) have been regarded as substitutes for conventional austenitic stainless steels because of their superior mechanical and corrosion properties. However, the main limitation to their wider application is their expensive production process. As an alternative, high-temperature solution nitriding has been applied to produce HNS from three commercially available stainless steel grades (AISI 304L, AISI 316, and EN 1.4369). The nitrogen content in each steel alloy is varied and its influence on the mechanical properties and the stability of the austenite investigated. Both hardness and yield stress increase and the alloys remain ductile. In addition, strain-induced transformation of austenite to martensite is suppressed, which is beneficial for subsequent low-temperature nitriding of the surface of deformed alloys. The combination of high- and low-temperature nitriding results in improved properties of both bulk and surface.