Nitriding of VT1-0 titanium in low-pressure non-self-maintained glow discharge with the use of different gas mixtures

The results of nitriding of VT1-0 titanium in the plasma of non-self-maintained glow discharge with a hollow cathode are presented. A nitriding process has been implemented in different gas mixtures at low pressure and temperatures less than 650°C. It is shown that two-hour nitriding in a helium-nitrogen mixture leads to formation of a nitrided layer on the specimen’s surface. The obtained layer hardness of 14.5 GPa exceeds the hardness corresponding to pure nitrogen and argon-nitrogen nitriding by a factor of 2 and 1.5, respectively.