Fatigue and fretting fatigue of ion-nitrided 34CrNiMo6 steel

This work is concerned with the surface treatment (ion nitriding) of fretting fatigue and fatigue resistance of 34CrNiMo6. Tests are made on a servo-hydraulic machine under tension for both treated and non-treated specimens. The test parameters involve the applied displacements δ±80–±170 μm; fretting pressure σ_n=1000–1400 MPa; fatigue stress amplitude σ_a=380–680 MPa and stress ratio R=−1. The ion nitriding process improves both fatigue and fretting fatigue lives. Subsurface crack initiation from internal discontinuities was found for ion-nitrided specimens.