Title: Nanoindentation and microstructure of hybrid treated of AISI 316L at low temperature

Authors: Askar Triwiyanto; Patthi Hussain; Mokhtar Che Ismail

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 31750 Tronoh, Bandar Seri Iskandar Perak, Malaysia ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 31750 Tronoh, Bandar Seri Iskandar Perak, Malaysia ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 31750 Tronoh, Bandar Seri Iskandar Perak, Malaysia

Abstract: This paper presents the characterisation of hybrid treated layer on austenitic AISI 316L stainless steels using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), universal scanning probe microscope (USPM) and nanoindentation after low temperature thermochemical treatments. By using these methods, the improvement of its mechanical properties due to the diffusion of carbon and nitrogen at low temperature treatments were confirmed. The hybrid treated layer has shown increment of hardness and elastic modulus compared to untreated sample. Based on the investigation, it is shown that all treated samples have enhanced E/H ratio which demonstrated the decreasing tendency to plastic deformation and reduced the disparity of properties, while keeping deformation within the elastic range.

Keywords: nanoindentation; characterisation; morphology; elastic modulus; microstructure; low temperature; austenitic stainless steel; thermochemical treatment; carbon; nitrogen; hardness; plastic deformation; nanotechnology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMATEI.2014.059490

International Journal of Materials Engineering Innovation, 2014 Vol.5 No.1, pp.38 - 47

Published online: 17 May 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article