ABSTRACT
An energetic nitrogen plasma stream of a pulsed plasma accelerator was used to study plasma matter interaction with stainless steel 304 samples. The high velocity plasma stream was allowed to interact with the samples at different plasma energy densities. The exposed samples were analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Micro-hardness tests. The SEM micrograph shows the formation of fine particles, melting, cracking and evaporation of sample surface at different plasma energy densities. Tentative threshold values of these phenomena were estimated from experimental observations. The XRD result doesn’t predict the formation of nitrides but confirms the occurrence of stress and relaxation in the lattice. The hardness value decreases with an increase in energy density and number of exposures. The EDX results show deposition of eroded particles and envisage possibility of creation of vacancy defects.
Acknowledgement
The authors also thank Mr. K. Kalita for assisting the laboratory activities. The authors are also grateful to CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat for extending electron microscopy and X-ray Diffraction facilities. Moreover, the authors acknowledge the Material Science Division, IIT Guwahati for allowing to carry out the hardness testing.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.