Nanoindentation Study of Borided Low-Carbon 16MnCr5 Steel

The effect of the temperature and duration of boriding on the nanohardness and modulus of elasticity of 16MnCr5 steel is studied. Pack-boriding is carried out in a solid medium at temperatures of 1123 – 1223 K for 2–6h using the Ekabor II reagent. The obtained experimental results prove effectiveness of the nanoindendation method for assessing the quality and properties of the borided surfaces of 16MnCr5 steel. It is shown that the values of the nanohardness and of the Young’s modulus of the steel range within 587.5 – 3716.4 MPa and 63.3 – 159.7 GPa, respectively.