4.4. Effect of carbon content in steel substrate on microstructure of the coatings
The steel grade Q235C was used as substrate for this investigation. The major difference in alloy composition between this steel grade and steel 45# used in previous sections is in the carbon content. The carbon content in the former is specified in the range of ≤ 0.17 wt.%, which is much lower than that in the latter, which is in the range of 0.42–0.5 wt.%.
The specimen was treated at 1100 °C for 4 h. The cross sectional SEM image and concentration depth profiles measured by EDS across the coating layer showed that the coating consisted of an outer Cr2N layer with a thickness of approximately 9 μm and a large Cr-enriched interdiffusion zone underneath; the thickness of this interdiffusion zone was about 37 μm (Fig. 9). The inner Cr-carbide layer as observed in the coatings formed on steel 45# as shown in previous sections was not present in this coating (Fig. 8a), and indeed in all the coatings formed on this steel grade. The phase of the outermost surface layer was also confirmed as Cr2N by XRD. It is thus clear that the carbon content in this steel grade was not high enough for forming a continuous Cr-carbide inner layer. Instead, the Cr-carbide was precipitated in the Cr-enriched interdiffusion zone in the form of nodular or needle-shaped particles