This chapter details suitable steels for gas nitriding and discusses conventional gas nitriding, plasma (Ion) nitriding, the ferritic nitrocarburizing processes, gaseous ferritic nitrocarburizing, plasma nitrocarburizing, and the salt-bath ferritic nitrocarburizing processes.

This chapter discusses equipment used for ferritic nitrocarburizing, including salt bath furnaces, atmosphere furnaces, and plasma furnaces. It also describes the processes involved in ferritic oxynitrocarburizing.

Gaseous ferritic nitrocarburizing, like salt bath nitrocarburizing, involves the introduction of carbon and nitrogen into steel in order to produce a thin layer of iron carbonitride and nitrides, the "white layer" or compound layer, with an underlying diffusion zone containing dissolved nitrogen and iron (or alloy) nitrides. This chapter first presents the development and principles of the process. It then discusses the properties of gaseous ferritic nitrocarburized components. The chapter also presents the applications for the ferritic nitrocarburizing process. It provides an overview of the safety considerations.

This chapter discusses hardening processes that involve changes in surface composition. These case hardening treatments are broadly classified into four groups: carburizing, carbonitriding, nitriding, and nitrocarburizing. Key parameters and operating considerations for each treatment are discussed.

Surface cleanliness requirements depend on which nitrocarburizing process is selected for component treatment. This chapter discusses the processes involved in some of the more commonly used precleaning methods for gas ferritic nitrocarburizing and provides information on the methods used to accomplish enhanced plasma cleaning.

This chapter describes processes for evaluation of nitrided parts, including case depth and case hardness, and discusses the factors contributing to corrosion and distortion of parts after ferritic nitrocarburizing.

Ferritic nitrocarburizing accomplishes surface treatment of a part in the ferrite region of the iron-carbon equilibrium diagram. This chapter presents the history and process benefits of ferritic nitrocarburizing.

The design requirements for mechanical shafts, pinions, and gears often call for features with very hard surfaces (to resist wear) based on a softer core (to avoid brittle fracture). This chapter explains how to selectively harden steel by diffusing carbon and nitrogen atoms into the outer surface layers. It discusses several such surface-hardening processes, including carburizing, nitriding, carbonitriding, and nitrocarburizing.

This chapter provides a detailed discussion of salt bath nitrocarburizing. Process variations discussed include low-cyanide salt bath ferritic nitrocarburizing, salt bath nitrocarburizing plus post treatment, and the Kolene Nu-Tride process.

This chapter compares and contrasts surface-engineering processes based on process availability, corrosion and wear performance, distortion effects, penetration depth or attainable coating thickness, and cost. It provides both quantitative and qualitative information as well as measured property values.

This chapter discusses the metallurgical considerations and process requirements of nitriding. It presents the pioneering work of Adolph Machlet and Adolph Fry and presents early developments. One such development is the Floe process, a two-stage treatment used to reduce the formation of a compound layer on the surface of a nitrided steel.

Mechanical components often require surface treatments to meet application demands. This chapter describes several surface hardening treatments for steel and their effect on microstructure, composition, and properties. It discusses flame hardening, induction heating, carburizing, nitriding, carbonitriding, and nitrocarburizing. The discussion on carburizing addresses several interrelated factors, including processing principles, alloying, surface oxidation, residual stresses, bending fatigue, contact fatigue, and fracture.

Formation of the nitrided case begins through a series of nucleated growth areas on the steel surface. These nucleating growth areas will eventually become what is known as the compound layer or, more commonly, the white layer. This chapter discusses the influence of carbon on the compound zone. It explains how to control and calculate compound zone thickness. Compound zone thickness can be controlled by dilution, the two-stage Floe process, or by ion nitriding. The chapter describes the factors affecting surface case formation.

This chapter provides practical information on surface treatments that work by altering the surface chemistry of metals and alloys. It discusses the use of phosphate and chromate conversion coatings as well as anodizing, steam oxidation, diffusion coatings, and pack cementation. The chapter also covers ion implantation and laser alloying.

This chapter is a compilation of terms and definitions related to surface engineering for corrosion and wear resistance.

This chapter provides helpful guidelines for selecting a surface treatment for a given application. It identifies important design factors and applicable treatments for common design scenarios, materials, and operating conditions. It explains why heat treatments and finishing operations may be required before or after processing and how to estimate or predict coating thickness, case depth, hardness, and the likelihood of distortion. It also addresses related issues and considerations such as part handling and fixturing, surface preparation and cleaning requirements, processability, aesthetics, and the influence of design features.

This chapters reviews the various process, material, and post-treatment problems that can occur in nitriding and how to troubleshoot them. The troubleshooting methods discussed relate to gas nitriding, salt bath nitriding, and ion nitriding.