Nitriding and low-pressure nitrocarburizing
Objective: Resistance to fatigue, wear and seizure
Nitriding is a thermochemical treatment involving the diffusion of atomic nitrogen N onto the surface of steel parts previously hardened and tempered. Nitrocarburizing, a variant of nitriding, combines the diffusion of nitrogen and carbon, enhancing the mechanical strength and wear resistance of treated parts. The insertion of nitrogen N (or N and C for nitrocarburizing) into the steel and the formation of nitrides with the alloying elements improve surface hardness and provide desirable properties, such as a hardness of 750 to 1100 HV.
The low-pressure nitriding technique
Low-pressure nitriding is carried out in a forced convection furnace, operating at a pressure of around 300 mbar, using an active gas mixture. This reduced pressure significantly improves gas exchange at the surface of the parts, facilitating a homogeneous nitride layer and an effective diffusion layer.
The active species, consisting of atomic nitrogen N (or N and atomic carbon C), derive from the dissociation of ammonia NH3 (or NH3 and a fuel gas) and chemical reactions occurring at the high processing temperature of 500 to 570°C. This process ensures a high-strength nitrided layer, optimizing wear resistance and minimizing deformation of metal parts, essential in industries such as medical and tooling where durability and precision are critical.
For study and order
Information for low-pressure nitriding :
- Drawing of the part (possibly including: area to be protected).
- Number of parts per shipment and per year.
- Type of steel: standardized (or commercial) AFNOR designation.
- Specification of the layers to be produced (with machining allowance, if any).
- Previous treatments (pretreated, tempered, stabilized, annealed).
business sectors concerned
Typical applications: turned parts, cutting tools, plastic injection molds, cams, slides, wear parts, etc.
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Our FAQs
Vacuum deposition is a surface treatment used to deposit a material or alloy on a mechanical part.
The use of vacuum technology ensures a perfectly clean, non-polluting process.
It is not subject to REACH legislation.
This process significantly increases resistance to wear, abrasion, and friction. As a result, the service life of the components is greatly extended.
Standard thicknesses are of the order of 3µm and deposition is carried out on finished parts.
PVD is physical vapor deposition. The element to be deposited is obtained by evaporation or sputtering via a physical process. PACVD is plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition. The element to be deposited is obtained from chemical reactions. Plasma enables this chemical reaction to take place at lower temperatures.
Vacuum deposits are classified into several categories: anti-wear, friction, decorative and biocompatibility. The applications are therefore very varied: automotive components, aerospace, tooling, cutting tools, medical devices, decorative parts...
The deposition method depends above all on the nature of the coating to be deposited and the substrate.
If the substrate cannot be heated to high temperature, the deposition must be carried out using low-temperature technology.
If the coating to be deposited consists of a solid element (metal or graphite target), a physical process such as PVD is used. If the coating consists of a gas or liquid, a chemical process such as CVD or PACVD is used.
Incorporate carbon below the surface of the steel part to improve fatigue and wear resistance on the surface, while maintaining good core mechanical properties.
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Our dedicated team will advise you on the most suitable nitriding process.
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