Optimization of Sintering Parameters of 316L Stainless Steel for In-Situ Nitrogen Absorption and Surface Nitriding Using Response Surface Methodology

Abstract

This research investigates the simultaneous sintering and surface nitriding of 316L stainless steel alloy using powder metallurgy method. The influence of sintering temperature and dwell time are investigated for maximum nitrogen absorption, densification and increased microhardness using response surface methodology (RSM). In this study, 316L stainless steel powder was compacted at 800 MPa and sintered at two different temperatures of 1150 and 1200 • C with varying dwell times of 1, 3, 5 and 8 h in nitrogen atmosphere. The sintered compacts were then characterized for their microstructure, densification, microhardness and nitrogen absorption. The results revealed that increased dwell time assisted nitrogen to diffuse into stainless steel matrix along with the creation of nitride layer onto the sample surface. The microhardness and density also increased with increasing dwell time. A densification of 7.575 g/cm 3 and microhardness of 235 HV were obtained for the samples sintered at 1200 • C temperature with 8 h dwell time. The simultaneous sintering and surface nitriding technique developed in this research work can help in improving corrosion resistance of this material and controlling leaching of metal ions for its potential use in biomedical applications.

Manufacturing of Corrosion-Resistant Surface Layers by Coating Non-Alloy Steels with a Polymer-Powder Slurry and Sintering

“…However, it should be emphasized that sinter densification is brought on by both residual carbon and nitrogen. Nitrogen contributes indirectly to the compaction of the sinter by forming nitrides or carbonitrides, which causes the released non-carbide-forming carbon to initiate the sintering process [36]. Undoubtedly, the lower porosity of sinters increases corrosion resistance, which is confirmed by the results of other authors [37].…”

On the Effects of Process Parameters and Optimization of Interlaminate Bond Strength in 3D Printed ABS/CF-PLA Composite

“…For an investigation of the output variable, interfacial bond strength, in this case, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed in design expert (DX12) software (Stat-Ease, Minneapolis, MN, USA). RSM computes the individual and combined effects with a relatively lower number of experiments and yields good statistical accuracy as well as trends [ 28 , 29 ]. The lower and upper levels of the considered printing parameters were selected according to the preceding research work [ 16 ], also given in Table 2 .…”

A Review of Electrode Manufacturing Methods for Electrical Discharge Machining: Current Status and Future Perspectives for Surface Alloying

“…As the market for miniaturized goods grows, many industries are increasingly using electrical discharge machining to produce microcavities with high appearance ratios [31], as well as micro-molds, micro-dies [32] and rotating micro-components [33]. When a magnetic field is added to dry EDM, the quality of the machined surface has been reported to improve, and production increases significantly [34,35]. Since EDM can produce a polished surface finish with no additional procedure, it has found widespread use in the production of components for the automotive, aerospace and nuclear industries [36,37].…”