Phase transformations in a super ferritic stainless steel containing 28% Cr after nitrogen ion implantation

A super ferritic stainless steel with 28.12% Cr; 3.91% Ni; 2.44% Mo; 0.22% Mn; 0.35% Si; 0.01% C; 0.01% N was implanted with nitrogen ions at 60 and 100 keV with different implantation doses. The nitrogen distribution and the microstructure of the implanted layers were analysed by means of nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), Mossbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A nitrogen saturated austenite was formed at a lower implantation dose, this austenite led to the precipitation of alpha "-Fe16N2 nitrides and chromium nitrides by increasing the implantation dose and the implantation energy. (C) 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers.