The Structure and Properties of Boride Coatings Depending on the Porosity of Powder Steel Preforms

Abstract

Metallographic analysis and X-ray diffraction are used to examine the structure of boride coatings produced by saturation of iron and iron–carbon preforms with different porosities at 1000 and 1100 °С and microhardness distribution along their depth is analyzed. It is shown that thickness of the oxide layer increases with greater initial porosity of the preforms, but its density and surface microstructure are higher for samples with lower porosity produced at higher saturation temperature. Morphology of the boride layers depend on porosity of the preforms.