• Nitriding process

    Nitriding is a heat treatment process which diffuses nitrogen into the surface of a metal to create a case-hardened surface.

Nitriding


What is nitriding ?

Nitriding is a heat treatment process which diffuses nitrogen into the surface of a metal to create a case-hardened surface.

As carburizing, nitriding is a heat treatment which reinforces surface properties. Nitrided parts have the advantages of resisting to higher temperatures than carburizing and of undergoing reduced dimensional distortion during the treatment process.

The nitriding process has two effects, depending of the nitrogen content of the treated workpiece surface:

  1. Hardening of the surface of the treated material by diffusion of nitrogen.
  2. The growth of a very hard layer of single or two-phase iron nitrides (the "white layer").

Nitriding is the best way to build parts with:

  • High surface hardness, up to 1400 HV
  • High wear resistance
  • Corrosion resistance
  • Improved slip properties
  • Fatigue improvement
  • Resistance to high temperatures
  • Very little dimensional distortion
  • No or little machining rework as compared to carburizing

Nitriding is the perfect process for automotive, aeronautics, watchmaking, tooling and pharmaceutical industries who need to improve properties of parts such as:

  • Gears
  • Motor and pump components
  • Drive shafts
  • Extrusion dyes tools and machining elements
  • Dyes and punches
  • Catheters and needles

Nitriding technologies differences

TECHNOLOGY ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE

Plasma nitriding

ASPN

Active Shield
Plasma Nitriding
ALD France ION2-cloud®


ALD France Furnace : ASPN

 
  • Simple process control
  • Sintered parts can be nitrided
  • Possibility of partial nitriding surfaces
  • No ammonia
  • Low energy consumption
  • Low gas consumption
  • No poisonous consumable and waste
  • Very large range of applications
  • Prevents hollow cathode
  • Prevents arking issues
  • Prevents edge defects
  • Low maintenance cost
  • Good temperature homogeneity
  • semi bulk loads can be treated
  • High development potential
 
 
  • limited bulk treatment
  • High investment
 

Plasma nitriding

DCPN

Direct Current Plasma nitriding DCPN

Direct Current
Plasma Nitriding


ALD France Furnace : ASPN

 
  • Sintered parts can be nitrided
  • Possibility of partial nitriding surfaces
  • No ammonia
  • Low energy consumption
  • Low gas consumption (200Nl/h of N2 and H2 mixture)
  • No poisonous consumable and waste
  • Development potential
 
 
  • No bulk treatment
  • High investment
  • High maintenance requirements
  • Trained staff required
  • Limited in applications
 

Gas nitriding

Gas nitriding


ALD France Furnace : NiH

 
  • Medium length process cycle
  • Reasonable investment
  • Process variations possible
  • Bulk treatment
  • Most commonly used process of today
 
 
  • Difficult process control
  • Low development potential
  • Needs toxic gas (ammonia)
  • Reasonably high energy consumption
  • High toxic gas consumption (1 Nm3/h to 10 Nm3/h of NH3)
  • Sintered parts can’t be nitrided
  • Limited in applications
 

Salt bath nitriding

Gas nitriding

 
  • Simple handling
  • Short process cycle
  • Bulk treatment
 
 
  • Dangerous handling
  • Causes poisonous waste
  • Cannot be used for other materials than steel
  • High energy consumption
  • Process control not documented
  • Sintered parts can’t be nitrided
  • No development potential
  • High investment
 

 

 

ALD France's nitriding solutions

  • Assistance for the definition of the most adapted technology to a given case
  • Large range of gas and plasma nitriding furnaces
  • Support in developing your nitriding process, with a control of nitride layers (CLT and NHD)
  • Nitriding treatment test on customer parts
  • Metallurgical analysis of nitrided parts
  • Estimation of consumption of energy, fluids and consumables for a nitriding process.
  • Nitriding, process and furnace training center

Why is ALD France the best partner for nitriding?

Expert at several nitriding processes, such as:

  • Gas nitriding, nitrocarburizing and oxinitriding
  • Plasma nitriding, nitro carburizing, DCPN and ASPN
  • Pre and post oxidation
  • Exclusive owner of ASPN patent and the owner of ION2Cloud© and NitroTherm© brands
  • Offer standard gas and plasma furnaces, or dedicated furnace for special needs
  • Large installed base of nitriding furnaces in various market for over 20 years
  • Close relationship with customers and partners in order to offer the best possible service
  • Member of the Material and Process Technology Research Institute IRT-M2P
  • Dedicated nitriding lab and experts
  • Provides specialized nitriding after sales services
  • Worldwide sales and service network

Even more about nitriding

More about nitriding processes

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