Influence of plasma electrolytic hardening modes on the structure and properties of 65G steel

This work presented a study of the structure, hardness and wear resistance of 65G steel treated with electrolyte-plasma hardening under different conditions. The electrolyte-plasma hardening technology and a laboratory installation for the realisation of electrolyte-plasma hardening are also described. After electrolyte-plasma hardening, we have established that a modified layer consists of the a-phase (martensite) and M3C cementite. The study results showed that electrolyte-plasma hardening makes it possible to obtain layers on the 65G steel surface that provides an increase in microhardness by 2.6 times, wear resistance by two times, resistance to abrasive wear by 1.7 times compared to the original samples. In addition, local hardening ensures the achievement of technical and economic effects due to the absence of the need to isolate an unwanted site of parts, processing only the areas requiring hardening.