3DII implantation effect on corrosion properties of the AISI/SAE 1020 steel

The three dimensional ion implantation technology (3DII) is one of the methods of improving the tribological characteristics and resistance to hydrogen embrittlement processes in metals. In this report, some results concerning the resistance effect of nitrogen ion implantation to oxidation of the sample, made of AISI/SAE 1020 steel, are given. The nitrogen ions were implanted in the discharge chamber of the JUPITER reactor. Both the treated and untreated samples were tested through potential-static measurements, which permitted to determine the corrosion current, the slopes that characterise the braking level of anode and cathode reactions. The polarization resistance near the corrosion potential is calculated. The results of the study encourage to consider the nitrogen ion implantation in high voltage and low pressure discharges as one of the methods of anticorrosive protection which do not change the geometric configuration of the treated steel pieces. (c) 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.