Plasma Ion Nitriding :

Nitriding is one of the most important surface treatments, usually given to steels and other ferrous alloys for improving its surface hardness without loosing its ductility.

Usually Nitriding is done in salt baths or Gas furnaces. Salt baths are operated up to 600° C with cyanide salts, which are thermally unstable and break up into carbon and nitrogen atoms when heated. Components to be Nitrided are soaked in these salts where the nitrogen atoms diffuse on to the surface of the component to be Nitrided forming various kinds of Nitrides such as aluminum nitride, molybdenum nitride etc. FeN, Fe2N, Fe3N and Fe4N are some of the Iron Nitrides, which are also formed on a limited scale.

Plasma Ion Nitriding is a process which is carried out in IONIC state of Nitrogen where it possess a high Kinetic energy enabling diffusion at a faster rate.

The process of Nitriding in glow discharge (Ion Nitriding) is an efficient method to increase hardness and wear resistance of metals and alloys. The basic technological advantage of this process is the use of lower operating range of 450-600° C resulting in minimum volume deformations in comparison to all other Nitriding processes.

The obtained Nitrided layers are non-porous and also are solidly connected to the base metal.

Compared to the classical Gas Nitriding OR salt bath Nitriding, Ion Nitriding has the following advantages.

• Sturdy and pliable Nitrided layers.
• Due to minimum deformation no additional mechanical operation is required and hence can be considered to be a final operation.
• Necessity of prior de-passivation of stainless steels is eliminated.
• Working conditions are more hygienic and improved.
• The process is Non – Toxic and responds to all modern requirements for environmental control.