Abstract
This article evaluates the electrolyte-plasma hardening (EPH) of steel 45 using an electrolyte based on sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃). Theoretical foundations of the electrolysis process of a sodium carbonate aqueous solution were studied during the course of the work. The mechanical and tribological properties of 45 steel samples after EPH were studied. It was found that with an electrolyte composition of 20% Na₂CO₃ and 80% distilled water, a hardened zone with a thickness of up to 5 mm is formed after EPH. The increase in microhardness reached up to 690 HV, which corresponds to a 3–3.5 times increase compared to the initial state. The results of tribological tests showed that the friction coefficient of steel 45 decreased after EPH, indicating a significant improvement in tribological characteristics compared to the initial value before hardening. Electrochemical tests on the corrosion resistance of steel 45 were also carried out. After EPH, the corrosion rate significantly decreased for steel 45 samples, indicating its highest corrosion resistance.