Control of structures and properties of 41CrAlMo7-10 steel as a result of fluidized bed nitriding

This work presents results of research under nitriding process of 41CrAlMo7-10 steel. The steel was subjected to nitriding on fluidized laboratory retort of industrial fluidized bed furnace type FP 700. The paper includes results of investigations tending towards an explanation of fluidized bed nitriding influence on properties of nitrided surface layer in dependence on nitriding time (4-8 h) and type of process (one-stage or double-stage). Following investigations were made for determination of properties of produced layers: microstructure studies, measurements of surface hardness, determination of microhardness profiles inside nitrided layer and X-ray investigations. (author)