Surface properties of Nb+C ion co-implanted stainless steel

The surface properties of Nb+C co-implanted stainless steel have been studied. The co-implantation of Nb+C ions was carried out using a modified cathode of a metal vapor vacuum arc (MEVVA) source ion implanter. The results of the experiment showed that the properties of wear resistance and the hardness in the co-implanted surface layer were improved. The dislocation network and tangle were observed by TEM. The dispersion hardening phases were determined by XRD and TEM to be Fe2Nb, Cr23C6, Cr3C2 and Fe5C2. Therefore, dispersion hardening and dislocation hardening were expected. The results were also compared with those of Nb+C ion dual implantation. This showed that there were some unique advantages to co-implantation.