Super duplex stainless steels (SDSS) have high corrosion resistance because of their high contents of chromium, nickel, molybdenum and nitrogen but low wear resistance. To improve the wear resistance of these steels without affecting their corrosion resistance, samples of SDSS were treated by plasma ion nitriding at temperatures ranging from 350 °C to 570 °C for two hours. This thermochemical treatment resulted in the formation of different types of nitrides that affected the microhardness, the microwear behaviour and the corrosion resistance of the metal surface. The microwear resistance decreased at 400 °C because different nitrides formed on the surface, thereby increasing the hardness and volume wear resistance of the steel. The test results showed that the alloys that were nitrided at 400 °C and 450 °C exhibited the highest corrosion resistance to a solution medium containing chloride ions.

P20 steel, which is mainly used in plastic molds, was thermochemically treated by ion plasma nitriding and solid and gas carburization. In this work, the solid and gas carburization were performed at 925 ºC for four different durations. The ion plasma nitriding was performed at 520 ºC for four different durations. The thermochemical treatment increased the micro abrasive wear resistance of the studied material. The gas carburizing treatment resulted in a greater surface microhardness. Longer treatment times increased the effectiveness of the thickness layer in all cases. The solid carburization produced a larger thickness layer than the gas carburization and ion nitriding.

O ensaio de micro desgaste abrasivo tem sido objeto de uma quantidade significativa de pesquisas nos últimos anos, quando o seu potencial para avaliar o comportamento de recobrimentos finos se tornou relevante. O objetivo deste trabalho é a construção de um dispositivo para a realização de ensaios de micro desgaste abrasivo por esfera fixa. O contato abrasivo é realizado por uma esfera de aço AISI 52100, a qual é presa num eixo que gira com grande precisão, com ajuda de um motor, em relação a uma amostra plana que se manterá estacionária. A carga normal de ensaio é aplicada através de ajustes de peso no suporte pivotado do corpo de prova, a qual pode ser variada a cada ensaio realizado. Este dispositivo foi utilizado para a determinação da resistência ao desgaste abrasivo e da eficácia de tratamentos de superfície utilizados em peças que sofrem este tipo de solicitação em serviço, além de utilizá-lo para estudar novos produtos desenvolvidos para o aumento de resistência ao desgaste de superfícies. Foi avaliada a resistência ao microdesgaste abrasivo de aço AISI 420 temperado e revenido. Observou-se que o aumento da dureza do material tratado aumentou a resistência ao desgaste abrasivo quando comparado com o material sem tratamento térmico.

The abrasive microwear testing has been the subject of a significant amount of research in recent years, when its potential to evaluate the behaviour of thin coating became relevant. The aim of this work is to build a apparatus for abrasive microwear testing by rotating sphere. The abrasive contact is performed by a AISI 52100 steel ball which rotates, with great accuracy with the help of an electric motor, in relation to a flat sample that will remain stationary. The normal load is applied by weight adjustments in the support of the test specimen, which can be varied for each performed test. This device was used to determine the abrasive wear resistance and effectiveness of surface treatments used in parts that undergo this kind of requirement in service, and also for studying new products developed for increasing the wear resistance of surfaces. The microwear resistance of the quenched and tempered AISI 420 steel was evaluated. It was observed that increasing the hardness of the treated material produced an increased wear resistance when compared with untreated material

An investigation was made to determine the causes of surface contact fatigue failure of a case hardened driver pinion located in the intermediate shaft of a reducer gearbox used in a sugar and alcohol mill. The examination of the component revealed the presence of a cemented layer substantially thicker than that generally specified for pinions devised for this application. This, associated with the massive presence of brittle threadlike carbon-rich cementite phase (Fe3C) in prior austenite grain boundaries of the pinion teeth, favored surface crack nucleation and propagation during cyclic loading, leading to spallation of the contact surface with the counterpart gear, which impaired the system's operation. Poor carburization practice was discovered as the root cause of the mechanical failure, thus demanding the implementation of a new manufacturing route to avoid problems in similar load-bearing rotating components.