The subject of the study concerns the enhancement of corrosion and wear resistance of nitrided 42CrMo4 steel by the formation of zinc phosphate top layer. The present work is aimed at the assessment of the effect of increasing thickness of nitrided layer from approximately 2 µm to 16 µm on the morphology and properties of zinc phosphate coating. XRD analysis showed that along with the increase in the thickness of the nitrides layer, a change in the phase composition was observed. SEM/EDS examination revealed that top layer consists of crystalline zinc phosphate coating. The shape and size of crystals does not significantly depend on a thickness of nitrides layer but corrosion resistance determined by potentiodynamic method in 0.5M NaCl increased with an increase of thickness of a “white layer”. Similarily the wear resistance determined by the 3-cone-roll test was also the highest for 16 µm nitride layer.
The article discusses tests concerning the assessment of the corrosion resistance, properties and the structure of TIG braze welded galvanised steel sheets. Test butt joints were made of 0.9 mm thick galvanised car body steel sheets DC04 (in accordance with EN 10130), using a robotic welding station and a CuSi3Mn1 braze (in accordance with PN-EN 13347:2003) wire having a diameter of 1.0 mm. The research-related tests aimed to optimise braze welding parameters and the width of the brazing gap. The test joints were subjected to visual tests, macro and microscopic metallographic tests, hardness measurements as well as tensile and bend tests. The corrosion resistance of the joints was identified using the galvanostatic method. The tests revealed that it is possible to obtain high quality joints made of galvanised car body steel sheets using the TIG braze welding process, the CuSi3Mn1 braze and a brazing gap, the width of which should be restricted within the range of 0.4 mm to 0.7 mm. In addition, the joints made using the aforesaid parameters are characterised by high mechanical properties. The minimum recommended heat input during process, indispensable for the obtainment of the appropriate spreadability of the weld deposit should be restricted within the range of 50 kJ/mm to 70 kJ/mm. At the same time, the aforesaid heat input ensures the minimum evaporation of zinc. Joints made using the TIG braze welding method are characterised by high resistance to electrochemical corrosion. The galvanostatic tests did not reveal any traces of corrosion in the joint area.
The oral cavity due to its temperature fluctuations, changing pH, high humidity, action of mechanical forces and the presence of microorganisms is a favorable environment for degradation of dental materials. The paper presents comparative results on orthodontic arch-wires AISI304 steel before and after low temperature plasma nitriding carried out at cathodic potential (conventional) and at plasma potential, i.e. in a process incorporating an active screen. Corrosion resistance test on nitrided layers produced on stainless steel were carried out via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the potentiodynamic method in non-deaerated artificial saliva solution at 37°C. The results were complemented with analysis of the structure, surface topography and microhardness. The results showed an increase in corrosion resistance of AISI304 steel after conventional glow-discharge nitriding.