In this research, the surface properties and wear behavior of duplex stainless steel (DSS) carburized using
pressure carburizing (PC) method are studied. Carburizing on DSS having different microstructures was carried
out using conventional carburizing and pressure carburizing methods. The surface properties namely,
the microstructure, hardness and wear of DSS prior to and following the carburizing process were investigated.
The results showed that the initial microstructure condition affects the carburizing process wherein the
DSS with a finer microstructure exhibits better surface properties than the coarser one. It was found that
the surface hardness and wear properties of DSS are enhanced significantly for the sample carburized via
PC method. The enhancement was attributed to the formation of a thicker and harder carburized layer. Elemental
analyses revealed that the concentration of carbon atoms in the PC sample was highly packed and
that the atoms diffused further into the substrate compared with the conventional carburizing sample.