Effect of the carburizing layer on the morphology of chromium carbides

Low carbon steel substrates were face-hardened by cementing, after which thin layers of chromium were deposited electrolytically on these substrates. After deposition, the samples were exposed to isothermal annealing at a temperature of 950°C. The characterization of the thin layers was carried out by means of optical microscopy and interferometry using the Vickers micro- hardness test. The obtained results allowed establishing the phase shift kinetics (under the effect of the cementing layer) in thin layers of chromium, which are transformed into chromium carbide when passing through metastable transition phases. These transformations were due to diffusion of the carbon atoms coming from the layer of cementing, germination and growth in solid phase. This fact has been examined taking into account the annealing temperature, the lattice parameter evolution and the deposited chromium layer morphology. As to mechanical properties, it was established that the micro-hardness depends on the phase shift evolution.