Nitriding of 304 Steel by a Nitrogen Plasma: Increasing Corrosion Resistance

Abstract

Exposure of a 304 stainless steel sample to an inductively coupled low pressure radio frequency (RF) nitrogen plasma leads to the formation of a nitriding layer. The protective properties of this layer are investigated by electrochemical methods. The corrosion potential of the steel in an aqueous solution depends on the working parameters of the plasma such as the time exposure and the distance between the steel sample and the high voltage (HV) coil of the treatment reactor.