The microstructure of composite diffusion layer of the nitrided and chromized 0.2% carbon steel is investigated using TEM and EDS. It is found that laths of austenite with high nitrogen (γ N) precipitate from α-ferrite matrix in the deeper zone of the diffusion layer. These γ N laths are all twins, with their {111} twinning planes parallel to the lath axis, thus forming a characteristic "back-to-back" morphology. There are two types of γN lath. The first is a genuinely {111} twin, and γ N and α keep the accurate K-S relationship, and each γ N and α form a sharp and smooth γ N/α inter- face of {335}γN//{341}α, namely habit plane {335}fcc. The second is a pseudo-twin, with micro-twins {111} or faults formed within the two twin components. Localized lattice deformation (relaxation) seems to have occurred at the interfaces of the second type of γ N due to the formation of micro-twins or faults within the twin components. These micro-twins or faults make the orientation relationship (OR) between each of the γN and the α-matrix deviate from the accurate K-S OR, and the OR between two γ N twin components deviate from the genuine {111} twin relation- ship. In addition, the γ N/α interface of the second type of γ N is not as sharp or smooth as that of the first one.
WU CuiLan1,2 & LUO ChengPing2 1 Center for High Resolution Electron Microscopy, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
