Nickel-based superalloys are widely used in various industries, e.g. energy, aerospace, oil and gas processing [
1,
2,
3,
4,
5]. Their versatility stems from both their mechanical properties and their resistance to high-temperature oxidation and electrochemical corrosion in many aqueous environments [
6,
7,
8]. The passive oxide layer which spontaneously forms on the surface, as in the case of titanium alloys or alloy steels, significantly increases corrosion resistance compared to the substrate in the active state [
9]. However, an oxide cathode layer makes the passive oxide layer susceptible to local corrosion in the presence of aggressive ions, such as chloride ions (Cl
-), often found in many industrial environments [
10]. In the case of nitrided layers produced on Ni-Cr alloy [
11] exposed in chloride-free environments (H
2SO
4), the CrN+Cr
2N layer is not susceptible to pitting corrosion. In addition, it has been shown that the best corrosion resistance is achieved by when phases are combined (CrN + Cr
2N) rather than when a homogeneous phase Cr
2N or phase π (Cr
12.8Ni
7.2N
4.0) are used alone. It is assumed that the differentiated corrosion resistance of chromium nitrides is related to the different crystallographic structures of the CrN (fcc A1) and Cr
2N (hcp A3) phases and the packing density of atoms in the unit cell. In the case of corrosion solutions with a mixture of aggressive ions (Cl
- and SO
4-2) [
12], the durability of nitrided layers is additionally determined by the quality and degree of the substrate’s defectiveness, which is determined, among others, by the value of breakdown potential (Enp) and the intensity of local corrosion (e.g. pitting). In nitride layers formed on alloys rich in chromium atoms, it is also possible to have insignificant amounts of other phases (α-Cr, Cr
2O
3) that further reduce the corrosion resistance of the substrate. One of the newer nickel superalloys developed for use at high temperatures in aggressive environments is Haynes 282 nickel alloy [
13,
14]. This alloy is strengthened with the γ’ phase and is characterized by high strength properties and good weldability [
15]. Good weldability is the result of a carefully defined aluminum and titanium content, which affects the volume fraction of the γ’ phase. Its high content significantly limits the technological properties of the produced materials, especially those obtained using additive techniques [
16]. However, it should be emphasized that materials produced by additive techniques usually demonstrate anisotropic properties. They are mainly caused by crystallographic texture, the structure of smelting pools, the privileged distribution of certain phases and carbides, and the presence of asymmetrical defects [
17]. Boswell et al. in their study [
18] showed that the anisotropic effect could be effectively reduced by appropriate dissolution and ageing heat treatment, leading to recrystallization and local texture reduction. Applying high temperature to the building platform during the LPBD process has also been shown to be effective in reducing adverse anisotropy effects, such as grain boundary cracking, associated with accumulating γ’ and carbide precipitates [
19].
Ion nitriding processes belong to modern thermo-chemical treatments enabling the production of protective diffusion layers with controlled phase composition and high-performance properties. Such materials include chromium nitride, characterized by high hardness, corrosion resistance and resistance to abrasive wear or oxidation. This material in diffusion layers or coatings is successfully produced on some steels [
20,
21,
22]. However, there is much less information on the ion nitriding of nickel alloys, in particular, nickel alloys having the characteristics of a strongly defective anisotropic structure.
The study aims to investigate the influence of the anisotropic structure of Haynes 282 nickel alloy substrate on the microstructure of a chromium nitride layer formed by ion nitriding and its resistance to corrosion, hardness, Young’s modulus and mechanical properties at elevated temperatures.