Everything You Need to Know About Nitriding Steel

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SUMMARY

Nitriding steel is a process where nitrogen diffuses into the surface of certain steels, forming hard compounds that enhance surface hardness and fatigue strength without making the steel brittle. This process alters the atomic bonds at the surface, putting them into tension, which significantly reduces fatigue problems. While carbon migration can also harden steel, excessive carbon content leads to brittleness, making the steel less ductile. Historical accounts suggest that ancient Romans may have heated swords to harden them, but the effectiveness of this method is minimal compared to modern nitriding techniques.

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  • Understanding of nitriding processes in metallurgy
  • Knowledge of carbon content effects on steel properties
  • Familiarity with fatigue strength concepts
  • Basic principles of atomic bonding in materials science
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Metallurgists, mechanical engineers, and anyone involved in the treatment and enhancement of steel properties will benefit from this discussion on nitriding and its effects on steel performance.

cucumber
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Hallo erstmal.

I would like to know how nitriding steel works, how it hardens steel, whether it makes it more brittle and basically everything else that is interesting about it.

also, I was wondering whether carbon migration has a similar effect, and whether the carbon forms a compound with the iron, and what is the maximum percentage of carbon you can have in steel...

is it true that in ancient greece (or was it rome) people heated swords and slashed up their prisoners to harden the blades, or is that just a myth??

answers please.
thank you.
cucumber.
 
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Nitriding involves ntrogen diffusing into the surface of certain steels and forming compounds. It then deforms the steel structure at the surface putting the atomic bonds into tension. This makes the surface very hard indeed (you can't touch it with a hacksaw) and also improves the fatigue strength massively. Fatigue occurs when a cycle of tension, then compression continues for a long period of time. By putting the bonds into tension all the time, the compression part of a wear cycle reduces the tension and then increases it, but doesn't actually put it into compression any more - ie there is no longer a compression/tension cycle, so fatigue problems reduce massively.

It doesn't make the object brittle, as the process only involves the surface and the main material is free to flex as before.

I've had my BSA motorcycle crankshaft nitrided and it hasn't shown any wear at all in thousands of miles of use!

The story about the Romans is believed to be true but the effect would be minimal - if any at all.


Carbon percentages can go to quite high values but as it goes up, the steel becomes very brittle and unusable.

Carbon atoms help to pin down dislocations in the steel and so reduce the steels ductility. Carburizing is a surface effect that gives a very hard surface.
 
Helpful nitriding resources can also be found here: http://www.solaratm.com/vacuum-furnace-services/vacuum-nitriding"
 
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