METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN IRON NITRIDE COATING ON THE SURFACE OF AN IRON OR IRON ALLOY SUBSTRATE

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for producing an iron nitride coating on the surface of an iron or iron alloy substrate, said method comprising the following steps: a) immersion of said iron or iron alloy substrate, in the presence of a counter electrode acting as a cathode, into an electrolytic bath comprising an ionic liquid comprising nitrogen cations and/or nitrogen anions, said substrate acting as an anode; b) electrochemical nitriding process of said substrate, comprising at least one of the following steps: - a galvanostatic step, in which an anodic electric current representative of a predetermined reference current density is applied between the substrate and the counter electrode until a predetermined threshold electric voltage is reached, at which an iron nitride coating is generated on the substrate having a predetermined thickness; - a potentiostatic step, in which an electric voltage having a value equal to a predetermined reference electric voltage is applied between the substrate and the counter electrode until a threshold anodic electric current representative of a predetermined threshold current density is reached, at which an iron nitride coating is generated on the substrate having a predetermined thickness.

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