Microstructural characterization and some mechanical properties of gas-borided Inconel 600-alloy

The excellent resistance of Ni-based alloys to corrosion and oxidation is well-known. Boriding can be applied to these alloys in order to obtain suitable wear protection. In this paper, two-stage gas boronizing in N-2-H-2-BCl3 atmosphere is proposed for the producing the boride layer on Inconel (R) 600-alloy. This process consists in two stages alternately repeated: saturation by boron and diffusion annealing. Such a gas boriding is applied in order to accelerate the saturation by boron and its diffusion. It turns out to be more effective because of eliminating the excess of boron, diffusing into the substrate, during the second stage. Microstructure and some mechanical properties of the produced layer are presented. Microstructural characterization is studied with using an optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis and x-ray diffraction. The diffusion zone consists of the mixture of nickel and chromium borides, occurring in the compact boride zone and in the area located beneath, at grain boundaries. The improved hardness and wear resistance characterize the layer. The formed boride layer is significantly thicker than those-obtained by the pack-boronizing or paste process at comparable temperature and time. Simultaneously, the measured depth of layer is slightly smaller than that-reported for electrolytic boriding. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.