Plasma nitriding of AISI M2 steel: performance evaluation in forming tools

Plasma nitriding is a thermochemical treatment to improve the surface properties of metallic materials, such as mechanical and tribological properties. The aim of this study is to compare the nitriding performance of conventional plasma nitriding (CPN) and cathodic cage plasma nitriding (CCPN) for AISI M2 tool steel at various temperatures (400°C, 450°C and 500°C). The forming tool is also processed in identical conditions, and its productivity performance in the manufacturing of nails for civil construction is also evaluated. The highest hardness is achieved while processing samples at 400°C, and better productivity performance while treating samples at 500°C, both in CPN and CCPN. Notably, the hardness and productivity performance achieved in this study, particularly using CCPN is significantly higher than the forming tool provided by the factory in which conventional processing techniques were used, and thus it suggests the effectiveness of CCPN in wide-scale industrial applications in forming tools.