Arc plasma nitriding of graphite surface towards production of a hard carbon nitride case

Electrode grade graphite substrates were exposed in a nitrogen plasma produced in a pot type 35 kW dc extended arc furnace/reactor operating in non-transferred mode. Different gas (Ar, N2, H2) configurations were employed to nitride graphite for 15–20 min in the thermal plasma. Characterization of the plasma-nitrided graphite surface made by XRD revealed the presence of carbon nitride in a mixed form consisting of different phases. The 120–160 μm thick nitrided case exhibited enhanced microhardness values by more than 7 times. XPS studies confirmed the carbon and nitrogen bonding in the nitrided layer/case grown on surface. A comparison of morphologies between the un-nitrided and nitrided graphite surface showed a significant difference in the microstructure. Micro Raman spectra of the nitrided graphite surface showed further evidence of nitrogen incorporation and corroborate the XPS and SEM results. The new compound, carbon nitride, which was recently predicted from theoretical studies, is found to have been formed by the interaction between carbon (graphite) and nitrogen plasma due to a favourable free energy condition available in the high temperature plasma ambient.