plasma/ion nitriding
what is plasma nitriding?
Plasma nitriding, also known as ionitriding, is a thermochemical process for the surface hardening of metals. Plasma nitriding is an established and successful process that is particularly important for precision-machined parts. It is a heat treatment process that is used to improve wear resistance and material fatigue.
plasma nitriding process
The process uses a plasma discharge of hydrogen and nitrogen gases both to heat the steel surfaces and to supply nitrogen ions for nitriding. If necessary, a carbon-emitting gas can also be used. However, this is then referred to as plasma nitrocarburizing.
The required temperature is usually between 480°C and 520°C. A voltage is generated between the inner wall of the furnace and the components. This leads to the creation of an ionized atmosphere around the component surface, the so-called plasma seam. There, the nitrogen atoms hit the surface of the component and produce nitrogen-containing nitrides.
benefits of plasma nitriding
Plasma nitriding is a treatment that is often used to improve the wear resistance of components or parts.
The advantages of plasma/ion nitriding are:
- The compound layer can be minimized to a level suitable for customer requirements
- It is often used for finished parts as no further machining is typically required
- Possibility to replace partial treatment by using simple mechanical masks
- Mechanical masking is the best option for components in large series
- Wear resistance is generated by a diffused hard coating
- Ability to reduce dimensional changes and achieve uniform layered housing on complex geometries
- Improved fatigue properties: The process induces compressive stresses, which improves fatigue strength
- Finishing on near-finished components, meaning very little (or no) lapping, polishing or grinding is required
- Potential to reduce scrap through precisely repeatable cycles
- It’s an environmentally friendly heat treatment process with no toxic waste
suitable materials for plasma nitriding
Plasma technology is primarily suitable for stainless steel and other high-alloy steels that are not suitable for a classic gas heat treatment process.
Plasma nitriding is suitable for all ferrous materials as well as for sintered steels, cast iron and high-alloy tool steels. The process is used in particular when components are to be partially treated and paste covering is not practical or economical.
When treating high-alloy and corrosion-resistant materials at low temperatures, the existing corrosion resistance can be retained. Titanium and nickel alloys are also plasma nitrided. The hard layer created when nitriding these materials is usually relatively thin (<20 micrometers), but very hard and wear-resistant.
application of plasma nitriding in various industries
Plasma nitriding is widely used in various industries, especially for components that are subject to high stress and wear. This low-temperature, low-distortion process is widely used in the automotive, aerospace and general engineering industries and is applied to a variety of components. Engine camshafts, engine crankshafts, gear wheels, tools, machine elements and similar components benefit significantly from the improved material properties of the plasma nitriding process.
- Engine camshafts
- Engine crankshafts
- Gear wheels
- Tools
- Machine elements
- Gearing parts
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- Development of individual innovations
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- Certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, VDA 6.1:2016
frequently asked questions – plasma nitriding
What are the common names for plasma nitriding?
Plasma nitriding, plasma nitrocarburizing, ionitriding, pulse plasma nitriding, Plasox, cold nitriding or plasma hardening.
How does the process of plasma nitriding work?
The process works with a nitrogen-hydrogen gas mixture as the nitriding medium, which is ionized in a vacuum furnace at a negative pressure of 50 Pa to 600 Pa by means of a high-current glow discharge.
Are there any disadvantages or limitations to plasma nitriding?
With plasma nitriding, the more cost-effective bulk material variant cannot be used, and there are always contact points that can not be nitrided.
How does plasma nitriding differ from other hardening processes?
Whereas in conventional heat treatment processes, the reactions on the component surface result from the surrounding gas phase, in plasma nitriding the reactions are exclusively represented by the high-energy plasma space.
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