Generally, tool steels for cold work are obtained by rolling and forging processes. They are treated to have a structure conferring to the material a high toughness limit in terms of wear resistance and endurance. The objective of this study is the thermochemical heat treatment of industrial steel blades made of AISI 02 types, intended for polymer crushing. The effects of nitrocarburizing (Tenifer) and gaseous carbonitriding processes on surface characteristics are considered. These surface treatments increase the usefulness of properties, that is, fatigue strength, wear and corrosion resistance of this microalloyed steel. The influence of treatment duration and the thickness of the layers on surface properties are investigated. The analysis and characterization are carried out using physical analysis [optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) techniques] and mechanical measurements (microhardness, weight loss and residual stresses) of treated material. The results are intended to contribute in defining and optimizing the adequate choice of treatments for this type of steel in industrial conditions.

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The present work examines the effects of pack‐boronizing treatment on the surface characteristics of modified industrial cold‐work tool steel intended for polymer crushing. Particular attention is paid to optimizing the process parameters to improve the tool surface properties and thus achieve a satisfactory tool life. To this end, a series of samples were subjected to boronizing treatment within the temperature range from 800 °C to 1000 °C for soaking periods of 2 h, 4 h, 6 h and 8 h. The structural and mechanical properties of the modified metal surface were analyzed using optical and scanning electron microscopy, x‐ray diffraction, microhardness testing and pin‐on‐disk tribotesting. The adhesion quality of the boride layer‐substrate was carried out using the adhesion test Daimler Benz Rockwell‐C. The corrosion properties were determined by the electrochemical polarization method. Experimental results showed that the optimum temperature‐temporal conditions of 900 °C/4 h that are the intermediate processing parameters led to a better compromise between the intended properties, in terms of resistance to wear and corrosion, as well as adhesion quality.

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