Nitriding and Nitrocarburizing
Nitriding and Nitrocarburizing are a category of processes whereby nitrogen (and carbon) is diffused into the surface of metals to create a hardened case for improved wear resistance. IBC Coatings Technologies offers both ion plasma nitriding and salt bath nitriding.
Benefits of Nitriding:
- Improves wear resistance for extended part/tool life
- Good surface finish where no additional mechanical treatments are necessary
- Higher hardness and less distortion than gas nitriding (DHIN)
- Re-useable masking for selective surface hardening (DHIN)
- Non-toxic and abides by all modern environmental control standard (DHIN)
- Improves support for hard PVD and DLC coatings (DHIN)
IBC’s Equipment
- Ion plasma nitriding (DHIN) furnace capacity: 83” tall x 60” diameter, 18,000 lbs
- Salt bath nitriding (DHSN) capacity: 50” tall x 36” diameter, 1,500 lbs
- High temperature solution nitriding (HTSN) furnace capacity: 24” x 18” x 26”, 1,000 lbs
| Process | Process Temperature (°C) | Thickness (microns) | Hardness (HV) | CoF (Dry on Steel) | Applications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ion Plasma Nitriding per AMS-2759/8 | DHIN | 400-550 | 25-500 | 500-1200 | 0.5 | Die casting, wear resistance, fatigue resistance, forging |
| Low Temperature Ion Plasma Nitriding | DHIN S-phase | 300-450 | 1-20 | 900-1200 | 0.5 | Wear resistance for stainless steels while maintaining corrosion resistance |
| Ion Plasma Ferritic Nitrocarburizing | DHIN FNC | 540-600 | 5-12 | 500-1200 | 0.5 | Wear resistance for mild steels |
| Ion Plasma Nitriding with Post-Oxidation | DHIN w/ Post-Ox | Can be applied after any DHIN process | Corrosion resistance, black appearance | |||
| Salt Bath Nitriding for Forging Dies | DHSN | 550 | 25-250 | 500-1200 | 0.5 | Wear resistance for forging dies |
| High Temperature Solution Nitriding | HTSN | 1060-1120 | 100+ | 300-700 | 0.5 | Wear resistance for stainless steels while maintaining corrosion resistance |
Process Descriptions:
Ion plasma nitriding (DHIN) is a surface hardening process that uses a glow discharge to diffuse nitrogen ions into the surface of the material. As compared to gas nitriding, plasma nitriding enables higher final core hardnesses and very low levels of dimensional distortion due to the relatively low temperatures.
Low temperature ion plasma nitriding or “S-Phase nitriding” (DHIN S-Phase), is a type of plasma nitriding specifically designed for stainless steels and iron superalloys. It is performed at low temperatures 300-450°C, preventing the formation of chromium nitrides which are detrimental to the material’s corrosion properties.
Ion plasma ferritic nitrocarburizing (DHIN FNC) is a type of plasma nitriding whereby both nitrogen and carbon are diffused into the surface, mimicking other types of nitrocarburizing processes like salt bath and gas. It is used to generate thick white layer on mild steels.
Salt bath nitriding process (DHSN) is a thermochemical treatment whereby parts are immersed in a molten salt bath that diffuses nitriding into the material creating a hardened case. DHSN is IBC Coatings’ proprietary process designed specifically for forging dies.
High temperature solution nitriding (HTSN) is a nitriding process for stainless steels performed at or above the material’s austenitizing temperature. After nitrogen diffusion, the parts are rapidly quenched, locking the nitrogen in solution and preventing the formation of chromium nitrides which are detrimental to the material’s corrosion properties.