Nitriding
Nitriding is a case-hardening process whereby nitrogen is introduced into the surface of a solid
ferrous alloy by holding the metal at a suitable temperature in contact with a nitrogenous gas,
usually ammonia.
The nitriding temperature for all steels is between 495 and 565°C
Principal reasons for nitriding are:
To obtain high surface hardness,
To increase wear resistance and antigalling properties
To improve fatigue life
To improve corrosion resistance
To obtain a surface that is resistant to the softening effect of heat at temperatures up to
the nitriding temperature
In this process, N2 is diffused into the surface of the steel being treated.
The reaction of N2 with the steel causes the formation of very hard iron and alloy nitrogen compounds.
The Nitrogen forms Nitrides with elements such as Al, Cr, Mo, and V.
The resulting nitride case is harder than tool steels or carburized steels.
The advantage of this process is that hardness is achieved without the oil, water or air quench.
Nitriding temperature is below the lower critical temperature of the steel and it is set between 500 - 600 C.
The nitrogen source is usually Ammonia (NH3 ).
At the nitriding temperature the ammonia dissociates into Nitrogen and Hydrogen.
2NH3 ---> N2 + 3H2
The nitrogen diffuses into the steel and hydrogen is exhausted.
Typical applications include gears, crankshafts, camshafts, cam followers, valve parts, extruder screws, die-
casting tools, forging dies, extrusion dies, injectors and plastic-mold tools.
The three main methods used are: i) gas nitriding, ii) salt bath nitriding, and iii) plasma nitriding.
Gas Nitriding:
In gas nitriding the donor is a nitrogen rich gas, usually ammonia (NH3), which is why it is sometimes known as
ammonia nitriding.
Prior to being nitrided, first the workpieces are heat-treated, to produce the required properties in the core.
In nitriding, the steel parts are heated and maintained at about 500°C for between 40 and 100 hours.
The treatment takes place in a gas-tight chamber through which ammonia gas is allowed to circulate.
When ammonia comes into contact with the heated work piece it disassociates into nitrogen and hydrogen. The
nitrogen then diffuses from the surface into the core of the material. This process has been around for nearly a
century though only in the last few decades has there been a concentrated effort to investigate the
thermodynamics and kinetics involved. Recent developments have led to a process that can be accurately
controlled. The thickness and phase constitution of the resulting nitriding layers can be selected and the process
optimized for the particular properties required.
Liberation of nascent N
The advantages of gas nitriding over the other variants are:
All round nitriding effect (can be a disadvantage in some cases, compared with plasma nitriding)
Large batch sizes possible - the limiting factor being furnace size and gas flow
With modern computer control of the atmosphere the nitriding results can be tightly controlled
Relatively cheap equipment cost - especially compared with plasma
An extremely hard surface is formed.
The treatment is conducted at comparatively low temperatures, minimising cracking and distortion.
No subsequent heat treatment is necessary.
It increases hardness of surface layer, wear resistance, endurance limit, and resistance to corrosion.
It is cheap if large number of components are to be treated.
The disadvantages of nitriding as compared with case-hardening are as follows:
1. Nitriding is more expensive than other case-hardening processes. However nitriding is economical only when
large numbers of components are to be treated.
2. If a nitrided component is accidentally overheated, the loss of surface hardness is permanent, unless the
component can be nitrided again. Whereas a case-hardened component would need only to be heat-treated
3. Reaction kinetics heavily influenced by surface condition - an oily surface or one contaminated with cutting fluids
for example will deliver poor results
4. Surface activation is sometimes required to successfully treat steels with a high chromium content - compare
sputtering during plasma nitriding
5. Ammonia as nitriding medium - though not especially toxic it can be harmful when inhaled in large quantities.
Also, care must be taken when heating in the presence of oxygen to reduce the risk of explosion
Salt Bath Nitriding
In salt bath nitriding the nitrogen donating medium is a nitrogen containing salt such as cyanide salt. The salts used
also donate carbon to the workpiece surface making salt bath a nitrocarburizing process. The temperature used is
typical of all nitrocarburizing processes: 550–590 °C (1022–1094 °F).
The advantages of salt nitriding are:
Quick processing time - usually in the order of 4 hours or so to achieve
Simple operation - heat the salt and workpieces to temperature and submerge until the duration has transpired
The disadvantages are:
The salts used are highly toxic - Disposal of salts are controlled by stringent environmental laws in western countries
and has increased the costs involved in using salt baths. This is one of the most significant reasons the process has
fallen out of favor in the last decade or so.
Only one process possible with a particular salt type - since the nitrogen potential is set by the salt, only one type of
process is possible
Plasma Nitriding
Plasma nitriding (or ion nitriding) is an extension of conventional nitriding processes using plasma- discharge
physics.
An electric current is applied in vacuum, in order to reach a differential potential of about 500-1000V, and
consequently nitrogen particles are dissociated, ionized and accelerated on the surface components.
N+ ions impact on the steel surface, acquiring an electron and emitting a photon. This emission, which represents
the return of nitrogen ions to their atomic state, creates the visible glow discharge that is typical of plasma
techniques. The impact between ions and components takes place at high kinetic energy and maintains the
component at the nitriding temperature .
This results in a very fast saturation of α-iron so only a few minutes later a coherent layers of iron nitrides exist in
equilibrium with the saturated iron.
The two essential factors of the fast diffusion of nitrogen in plasma nitriding are: the high surface concentration of
nitrogen, which is of particular relevance at the beginning of the process, and the increased rate of nitrogen
penetration due to the different diffusion mechanism.
It is also known as ion nitriding process.
In this process the steel component to be nitrided is kept at
450°C in vacuum at negative potential of 1000 volts.
Then a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen passed at a pressure
of 0.2 – 0.8m bar.
Then plasma formation of these gases takes place.
It occurs at low temp (350°C)
Vacuum: Vacuum is carried out by mechanical pump until about 7-13Pa. This
operation is necessary to remove the air and some contaminates presented in the
furnace atmosphere.
Heat: Heating is assured by resistors, connected to the cathode (work surface
piece). During the heating the pressure is increased to lead over the electrical
discharge concentration.
Plasma: After load is heated to desired temperature, process gas is admitted at a
flow rate determined by the load surface are, on increasing pressure up to 102 -103
Pa. An electric current is applied and consequently nitrogen particles are
dissociated, ionized and accelerated to the surface. The thickness of the glow
discharge can be modified by pressure, temperature, composition, potential,
electrical current and gas mixture. Usually the thick is about 6mm.
Cooling: The load is cooled by inert-gas circulation.
Boronising:
It is used for surface hardening of carbon and tool steels.
Both pack and gaseous techniques can be applied for surface hardening.
Boron diffuses inwards and iron bromide (FeB and Fe2B) layers are formed.
Other outer surface FeB phase forms and while Fe2B phased forms in the interior.
FeB phase is more brittle. The Bromide layer are very hard and having hardness greater than 1500 VPN.
Chromizing:
It is used for surface hardening of both carbon and tools steels.
there are two types of chromizing a. pack chromizing b. gaseous chromizing
The components to be chromized are packed with fine chromium powder and additives
This treatment required 12 hours for achieving a case depth of 0.02 – 0.04 mm at 900-11200C.
Hardness of chromium carbide layer is about 1500 VHN.
CARBONITRIDING
FLAME HARDENING
Flame hardening is the process of selective hardening with a combustible gas flame as the source of heat for
austenitising.
Principle of flame hardening:
The surface to be hardened is heated to a temperature above its upper critical temperature, by means of a
travelling oxy-acetylene torch.
Then it is immediately quenched by a jet of water issuing from a supply built into the torch-assembly.
Thus the surface hardening results when the austenitized surface is quenched by the water spray that follows
the flame.
Suitability:
The flame hardening technique is suitable for the plain carbon steels with carbon contents ranging from 0.40% to
0.95% and low alloy steels.
Advantages:
The process is more efficient and very economical for larger works.
As heating rate is high the surface of work remains clean.
Disadvantages:
very thin sections may get distorted excessively.
overheating may cause cracks.
INDUCTION HARDENING
The heating in this process is done within a thin layer of metal surface by high frequency induced currents.
A high frequency current is passed through the primary coil. This generates alternate magnetic field. This
magnetic field induces eddy currents of the same frequency in the surface layer which heat the surface of the
components.
Within a short period of 2 to 5 minutes the temperature of surface layer comes to above the upper critical
temperature of the steel.
The component is quenched by water spray usually without removing the inductor coil. Due to fast heating and
no holding time, Austenite is transformed in to fine grained Martensite.
Induction hardening is commonly followed by low temperature tempering at 160° to 200°C.
Steels with carbon between 0.4 to 0.5% are hardened by this method.
Laser-beam hardening (laser hardening)
Offers even shorter heating times of the surface than in induction hardening. This
significantly reduces the already low hardness distortion and scaling.
Under inert gas, oxidation of the surface can even be completely prevented.
In laser hardening, a laser beam with a very high specific power (about factor 10
compared to induction hardening) is guided over the workpiece surface to be
austenitized.
The enormous thermal output of the diode laser of several kilowatts results in a
temperature just below the melting point in a very short time.
Since the heat input is limited only to the local focal spot of the laser,
unnecessary heating of unwanted areas is avoided. This means that the locally
heated area is quickly quenched by the cooler surrounding areas. This so-
called self-quenching eliminates the need for quenching with water.
The laser spot covers a track width of 1 to approx. 50 mm, depending on focusing
and process control. Larger surface layers have to be scanned line by line with
the laser. Typical hardening depths with laser hardening are in the range of 0.1
mm to 2 mm. As is the case with induction hardening, the smaller the surfaces to
be hardened and the shallower the surface layer depths, the greater the cost-
effectiveness of laser hardening. Laser hardening is particularly suitable for
areas that are very difficult to access, such as tapped holes.
PLASMA HARDENING:
Plasma technology is primarily for stainless steel and other low alloy steels which are not suitable for a
“standard” heat treatment process.
The process uses a Plasma discharge of Hydrogen and Nitrogen gases both to heat the steel surfaces and to
supply nitrogen ions for nitriding.
PLASMA CARBURIZING PROCESS, also called ion carburizing, making use of a high-voltage electrical field
applied between the load and the furnace wall, producing activated and ionized gas species responsible for the
carbon transfer to the work pieces.
Plasma Nitriding is a surface hardening process, in which nitrogen is diffused in to the components surface.
Plasma nitriding produces high surface hardness, good wear resistance, increased fatigue strength and toughness.
Gas plasmas are ionized gases formed by liberating electrons from gas molecules and atoms using external
energy sources such as lasers or high electrical voltages.
