Aluminizing Low Carbon Steel at Lower Temperatures

This study reports the significantly enhanced aluminizing behaviors of a low carbon steel at temperatures far below the austenitizing temperature, with a nanostructured surface layer produced by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). A much thicker iron aluminide compound layer with a much enhanced growth kinetics of η-Fe2Al5 in the SMAT sample has been observed relative to the coarse-grained steel sample. Compared to the coarse-grained sample, a weakened texture is formed in the aluminide layer in the SMAT sample. The aluminizing kinetics is analyzed in terms of promoted diffusivity and nucleation frequency in the nanostructured surface layer.