Metal nitriding is a heat treatment of an alloy that consists in saturating its surface layers with nitrogen, which increases the steel’s abrasion resistance and fatigue strength, as well as its corrosion resistance.
Usually, nitriding of steel is carried out in a vacuum. As the heating and cooling processes are slow, plasma nitriding significantly reduces the formation of deformations and stresses in the material. It also does not require subsequent surface grinding or other mechanical treatment and can be used for hardenable steel grades.
Nitriding services are available for tool, carburised, high chromium and stainless steels. The resulting effective layers reach a thickness of 0.5 mm and a hardness of 700 to 1300 HV. Metal nitriding is offered for a variety of materials. We perform services such as:
- nitriding of steel;
- nitriding of aluminium;
- nitriding of cast iron;
- nitriding of titanium and so on.
What is plasma nitriding?
Plasma nitriding of cast iron and other metals is one of the methods of thermochemical treatment aimed primarily at changing the properties of the surface layer. It consists in saturating the surface layers of steel, which have been prepared (e.g. hardened) with diffusive nitrogen.
It is easiest to divide thermochemical treatment according to the degree of saturation:
- Non-metals (nitriding, carburising, boriding);
- metals (chromium plating, nickel plating, zinc plating);
- multi-component (e.g. carbonisation with nitrogen or titanium).
Advantages of metal nitriding
Thanks to this type of methods, an extremely durable protective layer can be obtained, which will protect the element from corrosion or excessive abrasion. One of the biggest advantages of plasma nitriding is that there is no need for additional post-treatment heat treatment. In many cases, this can significantly speed up production processes while reducing costs (especially in the case of high-volume or batch production).
How exactly does the nitriding process work?
Plasma nitriding is an excellent solution for people who want to increase the abrasion resistance of parts, improve their fatigue resistance and provide protection against destructive corrosion. Nitriding must be carried out under vacuum conditions, which is directly related to the safety and repeatability of the process.
Despite the long heating and cooling times, this technique is valued because of the absence of deformation and stresses of the material being treated. Plasma nitriding, due to the absence of the need for additional mechanical (e.g. grinding) or heat treatment at a later stage, is an excellent way to optimise production efficiency. It is worth noting that this method can also be used in the case of hard-strengthening steel alloys.
How much does it cost?
In a matter such as plasma nitriding, the price depends on many factors, so anyone interested in receiving a quotation is advised to contact us by phone or email.
Our experienced consultants will be able to provide more information about the services we provide. Due to the nature of our industry and business, we do not have rigid pricing packages. All orders we fulfil are priced individually based on up-to-date information, which may vary depending on the scope or specifics of a given project.
Applications of nitrided materials
Strengthening and anti-corrosion nitriding are some of the most popular methods of protecting moving parts of machinery such as gears, crankshafts, valve parts, clutches and engines. Due to their advantages, these methods are also widely used for cold forging tools and forging dies.