This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
This Website Uses Cookies
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More
This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
Industrial Heating logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Industrial Heating logo
  • Home
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Digital Edition
    • Archives
  • News
  • Featured
    • IH Daily
    • IH MagEzine
    • Web Exclusives
    • IH Economic Indicators
    • The History of Industrial Heating
    • Heat Treatment Processes
    • Top 10 Heat-Treated Holiday Gifts
  • Topics
    • Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printing
    • Ceramics & Refractories / Insulation
    • Combustion & Burners
    • Heat Treating
    • Heat & Corrosion Resistant Materials / Composites
    • Induction Heat Treating
    • Industrial Gases & Atmospheres
    • Materials Characterization & Testing
    • Melting / Forming / Joining
    • Process Control & Instrumentation
    • Sintering / Powder Metallurgy
    • Vacuum / Surface Treatments
  • Columns
    • Editorial
    • The Heat Treat Doctor
    • Federal Triangle
    • MTI Profile
    • Academic Pulse
    • Heat Treat 5.0
    • International – Brazil
    • Next-Gen Leaders
  • Directories
    • Equipment Buyers Guide
    • Commercial Heat Treat Capabilities Directory
    • Aftermarket Parts & Services Directory
    • Materials Characterization & Testing Equipment Directory
    • Take a Tour
  • More
    • Classifieds
    • White Papers
    • Industrial Heating Bookstore
    • Organizations
    • Market Research
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FORGE Magazine
  • Multimedia
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Image Gallery
    • Mobile App
    • eBooks
  • Events
    • Meetings & Trade Shows
    • FNA
    • Heat Treat Show
  • Blog
    • Dan Herring - Heat Treatment
    • David Pye - Metallurgy
    • Dan Kay - Brazing
    • Debbie Aliya - Failure Analysis
    • Thomas Joseph - Intellectual Property
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
    • Print & Digital Edition Subscriptions
    • eNewsletter
    • Online Registration
    • Customer Service
Home » Blogs » Industrial Heating Experts Speak Blog » Trends and Developments in Heat-Treatment Technology (part 2)
David-pye-200px

David Pye is the owner and operator of Pye Metallurgical International Consulting, Saint Anne's on Sea, Lancashire, U.K. He has 25 years of practical experience in captive and commercial heat treatment, metallurgical laboratory operation and industrial furnace sales. He also has teaching experience on a very wide range of heat-treatment and metallurgical subjects.

He can be reached at pye_d@ymail.com. 

Trends and Developments in Heat-Treatment Technology (part 2)

112119-Pye-6

Fig. 6.  An illustration of the carbonitride-formed metallurgy

112119-Pye-7

Fig. 7. A schematic illustration of the nitride-formed case (by gas, salt or plasma processing)

112119-Pye-6
112119-Pye-7
November 21, 2019
David Pye
No Comments
KEYWORDS heat treatment / metallurgy
Reprints

The advent of plasma processing technology for surface treatments resulted in many new opportunities for developing treatment processes. Figure 6 is a display of the ferritic nitrocarburizing process and its resulting metallurgy in relation to the compound zone and its resulting metallurgy. Figure 7 is a sketch of the carbonitride case formation. Because of the wide range of process-control options for plasma-based nitriding processes such as plasma-assisted ferritic nitrocarburizing, resulting metallurgy can be developed for specific applications.

 

Precleaning

The procedure for precleaning within the confines of the plasma process vessel is known as sputter cleaning. A simple analogy of what sputter cleaning accomplishes is that of atomic “shot blasting.” As a result of this procedure, and using less than 5% (maximum) of argon plus the balance of hydrogen, the surface finish of the component being treated will improve.

 

Other Advantages of Plasma-Assisted Processing

Plasma-assisted nitriding and nitrocarburizing will improve both resistance to static and dynamic loads. It also has a significant improvement on corrosion resistance.

 

Plasma-Assisted Nitriding and Ferritic Nitrocarburizing

Another procedure that can be accomplished with plasma conditions is that of post-oxidation to assist in the improvement of corrosion resistance. It should also be noted that similar results can be obtained by gaseous nitriding and by salt-bath nitriding. The procedure is very simple to conduct and is performed in the following manner (and referring to plasma-assisted processing).

Once the nitriding or ferritic nitrocarburizing procedure has been completed, the process vessel MUST be purged with nitrogen to ensure that all residual hydrogen has been extracted from the process vessel. Thereafter, an oxygen-bearing gas or liquid is introduced into the process vessel in a controlled manner. The process temperature can be selected in relation to the surface finish, and resulting surface color can be accomplished.

Process mediums for post-oxidation include a controlled oxygen flow introduced into the process chamber. Alternatively, carbon dioxide can be introduced into the process chamber. Another medium is water vapor. Temperature that can be selected to match a specific tempering temperature.

The resulting structures from the process of plasma-assisted nitriding or ferritic nitrocarburizing with post-oxidation are the following.

Oxide Layer

  • Immediate oxide surface layer = magnetite (Fe₃0₄)
  • A dense fine-grained immediate oxide surface layer will be formed.
  • The immediate oxide surface layer will be chemically resistant and with a low coefficient of friction.
  • The oxide surface layer will be determined by the oxide treatment process temperature selected.

Subsurface Compound Layer

  • High surface hardness can be accomplished with final hardness values of 800 HV up to 1,400 HV (depending on the analysis of the material being treated and the ferritic nitrocarburizing process parameters).
  • High wear resistance

Diffusion Layer

  • Improved fatigue resistance due to induced residual compressive stresses
  • Diminishing hardness gradient in the diffusion layer and into the core hardness results

Blog Topics

Dan Herring - Heat Treatment

David Pye - Metallurgy

Dan Kay - Brazing

Debbie Aliya - Failure Analysis

George Vander Voort - Metallography

Thomas Joseph - Intellectual Property

Recent Comments

business

Dew Point Meter

kindly share your expertise on deformation control....

relationship between retort size and volume of entire air and gas for produce endothermic gas

[No title]

David-pye-200px

David Pye is the owner and operator of Pye Metallurgical International Consulting, Saint Anne's on Sea, Lancashire, U.K. He has 25 years of practical experience in captive and commercial heat treatment, metallurgical laboratory operation and industrial furnace sales. He also has teaching experience on a very wide range of heat-treatment and metallurgical subjects.

He can be reached at pye_d@ymail.com. 

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • Print & Digital Edition Subscriptions
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Popular Stories

ih1119-ht-fig1-900

The Overlooked Efficiency Opportunity: Intelligent Process Cooling

ih1119-htdr-fig1-900

Vacuum Maintenance (part 1)

Editorial 2019: Reed Miller

Noel Nuggets

Industrial Heating Web Exclusives

Steel Mill Powered by Wind

Industrial Heating Industry News

Novelis to Expand, Upgrade Georgia Facility

IH Ipsen 360x184customcontent

Events

December 11, 2019

Linear and Non-Linear Furnace Leak Rates: What’s the Difference?

Determining whether your furnace has a linear or non-linear leak can mean the difference between being back in production in two hours, or two days. It’s important to know the proper steps in determining your true leak rate to decrease unplanned down time as much as possible. 

January 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.
View All Submit An Event

Poll

Additive Manufacturing

Has additive manufacturing had any impact on your business?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Vacuum Heat Treatment Volume I

Vacuum Heat Treatment Volume I

See More Products

The History of Industrial Heating 1000 BC - Present Day


Industrial Heating Employment Marketplace

Industrial Heating

1219IH-cover144x192

2019 December

Check out the December 2019 issue of Industrial Heating, featuring "Metal Additive Manufacturing without Melting", "Furnaces with Tungsten Heating Elements Make High Product Quality Possible", and much more.

View More Create Account
  • Resources
    • List Rental
    • eNewsletter
    • Manufacturing Group
    • News
    • Want More?
    • Featured
    • Product / Event
    • Industry Links
    • Connect
    • Privacy Policy
    • Survey And Sample

Copyright ©2019. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing