SAE 1070 steel – Nitrogen Carbon Diffusion Gold Phase Diagram
SAE 1070 steel is a low carbon steel that is widely used in the manufacture of a variety of components. It is classified as a nitriding steel, which means it can be used to create a hardened martensitic structure by diffusing nitrogen and carbon atoms into the steel matrix. This process increases wear resistance, fatigue resistance and overall strength. In order to make the most of the added strength, it is necessary to understand the gold phase diagram associated with SAE 1070 steel.
The gold phase diagram is a graph that illustrates the relationship between the hardness of a material and the amount of nitrogen and carbon it contains. It takes into account the temperature and time at which the nitride diffusion takes place. The diagram consists of an x-axis, which plots the amount of nitrogen and carbon, and a y-axis, which displays the hardness of the nitrided steel. In the case of SAE 1070, the graph shows that as the amount of nitrogen and carbon increases, the hardness of the steel also rises.
At low levels of nitrogen and carbon, the hardness of the steel is relatively low. This is due to the lack of extra strength provided by the diffusion process. As the amount of nitrogen and carbon is increased, the hardness of the steel increases, but not linearly. Rather, hardness increases exponentially until the peak hardness is achieved. After that, further increases in nitrogen and carbon result in a decrease in hardness.
The diagram can also be used to understand how long the nitriding process needs to take in order to achieve a particular hardness. As the amount of nitrogen and carbon is increased, the time required to achieve peak hardness also increases. In the case of SAE 1070 steel, a nitriding time of around two hours is suggested to achieve peak hardness. Longer nitriding times can result in the steel becoming over-diffused and creating a softer material.
Overall, the gold phase diagram associated with SAE 1070 steel is an important tool for engineers and manufacturers to utilize. It allows for the optimization of nitriding parameters in order to achieve maximum hardness and wear resistance. Additionally, it serves as a useful guide when examining data from nitrided materials.