Enhanced Wear Resistance of Mould Steel D2 via Gas Nitriding+Nitrocarburizing and Carbonitriding Processes

Abstract

Mould steels have short service life because of subjected to continuous impact loadings. So several industrial surface treatments are used to improve hardness and wear resistance such as gas nitriding/nitrocarburizing/carbonitriding. In this study, gas nitriding and nitrocarburizing (GN+NC), and carbonitriding (CN) processes were carried out to D2 mould steel in industrial conditions, and the results were investigated by comparing the hardness and wear properties. Nitrided and untreated samples subjected to microstructural investigation, hardness measurements and dry sliding wear tests. As a result of the experimental studies, it was found that different nitriding processes significantly enhanced wear resistance of the samples.