Improved tribological behaviour of super duplex stainless steel through plasma nitriding at ultra-low temperature without prior polishing

Super duplex stainless steels (SDSS), widely used in industries such as offshore oil and gas, offer a unique combination of high strength and corrosion resistance. However, surface hardening treatments are crucial to enhance their performance and extend service life. This work investigates the effect of plasma nitriding on the tribological behaviour of SDSS SAF 2507. Samples are treated without prior polishing (as received, AR) at ultra-low temperatures (250 and 300 °C) aiming to avoid detrimental CrN precipitation. Comprehensive microstructural characterization, corrosion studies, and tribological tests (scratch and ball-on-disc) are conducted on samples that do not present CrN (PN). Results indicate that the hardness of PN samples nearly doubles that of AR samples due to the presence of expanded austenite. Corrosion tests show improvements in passivity for PN samples. In scratch tests, while the AR material undergoes progressive plastic deformation, in PN material the nitrided layer breaks down only after reaching a critical load. In ball-on-disc test, wear rates are remarkably lower for PN condition compared to AR condition. Wear mechanism is tribo-oxidative and abrasive for the AR condition. Wear of PN samples is characterized by asperity break-off and ratcheting. The nitrided layer in PN samples exhibits an enhanced load-bearing capacity that improves wear resistance in both tests.