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Effects of magnetic field intensity on carbon diffusion coefficient in pure iron in the γ-Fe temperature region were investigated using carburizing technology. The carbon penetration profiles from the iron surface to interior were measured by field emission electron probe microanalyzer. The carbon diffusion coefficient in pure iron carburized with different magnetic field intensities was calculated according to the Fick's second law. It was found that the magnetic field intensity could obviously affect the carbon diffusion coefficient in pure iron in the γ-Fe temperature region, and the carbon diffusion coefficient decreased obviously with the enhancement of magnetic field intensity, when the magnetic field intensity was higher than 1 T, the carbon diffusion coefficient in field annealed specimen was less than half of that of the nonfield annealed specimen, further enhancing the magnetic field intensity, the carbon diffusion coefficient basically remains unchanged. The stiffening of lattice due to field-induced magnetic ordering was responsible for an increase in activation barrier for jumping carbon atoms. The greater the magnetic field intensity, the stronger the inhibiting effect of magnetic field on carbon diffusion.

The plasma electrolytic borocarbonitriding (PEB/C/N) process on pure iron was carried out in 25% borax solution with glycerine and carbamide additives under different discharge time at 360V. The morphology and structure of PEB/C/N hardened layers were analyzed by SEM and XRD. The hardness profiles of hardened layers were measured by microhardness test. Corrosion behavior of PEB/C/N layers was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Their wear performance was carried out using a pin-disc friction and wear tester under dry sliding test. The PEB/C/N samples mainly consisted of $\alpha$-Fe, Fe₂B, Fe₃C, FeN, FeB, Fe₂O₃ and Fe₄N phases, and the Fe₂B phase was the dominant phase in the boride layer. It was found that the thickness of boride layer increased with the discharge time and reached 14$\mu$m after 60min treatment. The microhardness of the boride layer was up to 2100HV, which was much higher than that of the bare pure iron (about 150HV). After PEB/C/N treatment, the corrosion resistance of pure iron was slightly improved. The friction coefficient of PEB/C/N treated pure iron decreased to 0.129 from 0.556 of pure iron substrate. The wear rate of the PEB/C/N layer after 60min under dry sliding against ZrO₂ ball was only 1/10 of that of the bare pure iron. The PEB/C/N treatment is an effective way to improve the wear behavior of pure iron.

In this paper, the antifriction carbonitriding (PEC/N) layers were prepared on pure iron by cathodic plasma electrolytic treatment (PET) in glycerin and carbamide aqueous solution under 360V for 1, 3 and 10min. Influence of discharge time on morphology, structure, surface roughness and microhardness of PEC/N layer was analyzed. The tribological performance of the PEC/N layer, growth mechanism and diffusion process during PEC/N treatment was investigated. The thickness of the PEC/N layer grew to 48$\mu$m for 10min treatment and the growth of the saturation layer met the parabolic law. The highest microhardness of the surface was up to 811 HV, which was 5 times of that of iron substrate. The PEC/N layer consisted of $\alpha$-Fe, Fe${}_{2-3}$N, Fe₄N, Fe₃C, Fe₅C₂ phases and a little FeO phase. The wear rate of the PEC/N layer reduced by five-sixes comparing with the iron substrate and the surface of the wear track was much smoother. The temperature close to the surface during PEC/N fitted by the tested temperature values inside the sample was 801^∘C (1074K), and the combination diffusion rate of C and N into pure iron during PET at 360V reached $4.09\times 10^{-12}$m²/s. The electron temperature fluctuates between 3000K and 8000K. The antifriction PEC/N layer displayed a very good wear resistance and the higher diffusion rate makes plasma electrolytic carbonitriding a very effective technique for surface modification of pure iron.