Specimens of ISO 5832-1stainless steel were submitted to low temperature plasma nitriding treatment and Solution Heat Treatment after Plasma Nitriding (SHTPN) process aiming to obtain a S-phase, chromium precipitates-free, surface layer. The following techniques were used for analysis: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy (OM), microhardness, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) microanalysis. Corrosion resistance was evaluated by means of potentiodynamic anodic polarization and open-circuit measurements of corrosion potential. Results indicated that the S-phase layer with N concentrations of about 0.9 wt% and 2 µm thick was formed during low temperature plasma nitriding, while layers with concentratios of about 0.45 wt% of N and up to 200 µm thick resulted from the SHTPN process. Results proved the increase in localized corrosion resistance caused by nitrogen in solid solution for both processes, as well as the deleterious effect caused by the precipitation of chromium nitride.

Corpos de prova de aço inoxidável austenítico ISO 5832-1 apresentando camada superficial rica em nitrogênio (fase S), obtidas pelos processos de nitretação por plasma em baixa temperatura e SHTPN (Solution Heat Treatment after Plasma Nitriding), caracterizadas em trabalho anterior, além de amostras na condição de fornecimento, ou seja, solubilizadas, e amostras nitretadas por plasma em 750 ºC por 3 horas foram testadas quanto à resistência a corrosão. A resistência a corrosão foi avaliada com base no método de polarização potenciodinâmica e obtenção de potencial de circuito aberto (Ecorr vs tempo) em uma solução de 0,5 M NaCl. Os resultados comprovaram o ganho na resistência a corrosão localizada proveniente do nitrogênio em solução sólida, tanto para nitretação em baixa temperatura quanto no processo SHTPN, bem como o efeito deletério proveniente da precipitação do nitreto de cromo.

Samples of austenitic stainless steel ISO 5832-1 showing nitrogen-rich surface layer (S-phase), obtained by plasma nitriding at low temperature and SHTPN (Solution Heat Treatment after Plasma Nitriding) processes, characterized in previous work, and samples in starting microstructure, in other words, solubilized and plasma samples nitrided at 750° C for 3 hours, were tested for corrosion resistance. The corrosion resistance was evaluated based on the potentiodynamic anodic polarization test and open circuit measurements of corrosion potential (OCP) using 0.5 M NaCl. The results confirmed the gain in localized corrosion resistance from the nitrogen in solid solution in both low-temperature nitriding and SHTPN process, as well as from the deleterious effect of precipitation of chromium nitride.