Microstructure of the nitride layer of AISI 316 stainless steel produced by intensified plasma assisted processing

Nitrided austenitic 316 stainless steel produced by intensified plasma assisted processing has been studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, and image simulation techniques. Cross-sectional TEM studies showed that the nitride layer is composed of a single phase that was found to possess a simple cubic structure. This nitride is produced by introducing one N atom into one of the interstitial sites of the octahedra within the unit cell of the gamma-austenite. The lattice constant of the nitrided simple cubic structure was determined to be a = 3.78 Angstrom, which is expanded by about 5.4% from that of austenite. Stacking faults, antiphase domains, and antiphase domain boundaries in the nitride layer were observed using dark-field and high-resolution TEM imaging. The evolution of the nitride phase seems to be preceded by lattice expansion and formation of stacking faults due to the presence of N and is consistent with the observed lattice constant reduction with depth. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)06019-9].