Deformation-induced cyclic phase transitions of dissolution-precipitation of nitrides in surface layers of Fe-Cr-(Ni)-N alloys

Methods of Mössbauer spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction have been used to study structural and phase transformations in surface layers of iron and Fe-Cr-(Ni) alloys subjected to ion-plasma nitriding and subsequent severe cold plastic deformation by shear under pressure in Bridgman anvils. It has been shown that the cyclic phase transformations of dissolution-precipitation of nitrides in the alloys result in the formation of nitrogen-supersaturated solid solutions, precipitation of secondary nitrides, and the nanostructurization of the metallic matrix. It has been established that the introduction of chromium into iron alloys accelerates the formation of nitrides upon nitriding and makes it possible to obtain solid solutions strongly supersaturated with nitrogen (more than 10 at % N in the fcc lattice) during subsequent deformation.