Plasma-Assisted Surface Treatment: Verlag Moderne Industrie

++Metaplas_Umbruch_eng_5.0:++Metaplas_Umbruch_eng_5.0 03.07.
2006 8:47 Uhr Seite 1
verlag moderne industrie
Plasma-Assisted
Surface Treatment
Nitriding, nitrocarburizing and oxidation
of steel, cast iron and sintered materials
Thomas auf dem Brinke, Jürgen Crummenauer,

Rainer Hans, Werner Oppel
++Metaplas_Umbruch_eng_5.0:++Metaplas_Umbruch_eng_5.0 03.07.2006 8:47 Uhr Seite 2
This book was produced with the technical collaboration of

METAPLAS IONON Oberflächenveredelungstechnik GmbH. Contents
Protection from wear, corrosion and fatigue 4
Translation: Kevin Lossner, Hohen Neuendorf (Germany) on behalf of
Sansalone Technische Übersetzungen, Cologne Nitriding basics 6
The nitriding process............................................................................... 6
Layer structure of the nitrided zone ............................................................ 8
Material property modification by nitriding............................................ 12
Nitridable ferrous materials..................................................................... 16
Dimensional characteristics..................................................................... 17
Nitriding in the plasma 18
Generating technical plasmas.................................................................. 18
Heat treatment in the plasma ................................................................... 20
Partial nitriding........................................................................................ 24
Combined treatment 26
Nitriding and oxidation ........................................................................... 26
Degreasing and plasma nitrocarburizing of sintered materials ............... 31
Nitriding and coating............................................................................... 33
© 2006 All rights reserved with Overview of applications 36
sv corporate media GmbH, D-80992 Munich, Germany
www.sv-corporate-media.de Automotive engineering.......................................................................... 36
Hydraulics and fluid technology ............................................................. 47
First published in Germany in the series Chemical industry ................................................................................... 50
Die Bibliothek der Technik Food industry........................................................................................... 51
Original title: Plasmagestützte Oberflächenveredelung Engineering ............................................................................................. 52
© 2006 by sv corporate media GmbH Process technology 54
Illustrations: No. 22 TRW Automotive GmbH, Tech Center Düssel- Pretreatment ............................................................................................ 54
Treatment................................................................................................. 54
dorf; No. 23 KOKI TECHNIK Metallverarbeitung GmbH & Co KG,
Niederwürschnitz; Nr. 24 HOERBIGER Antriebstechnik GmbH, Conceptual design of plasma nitriding systems 59
Schongau; No. 29 Montanhydraulik GmbH, Holzwickede; all others
Bell furnace systems................................................................................ 62
METAPLAS IONON Oberflächenveredelungstechnik GmbH, Pit furnace systems.................................................................................. 63
Bergisch Gladbach Chamber furnace systems........................................................................ 64
Typesetting: abavo GmbH, D-86807 Buchloe Work safety and environmental protection ............................................. 66
Printing and binding: Sellier Druck GmbH, D-85354 Freising
Printed in Germany 889039 Trends and future outlook 68
ISBN-10: 3-937889-39-6
ISBN-13: 978-3-937889-39-9 The company behind this book 71
4 Protection from wear, corrosion and fatigue 5
Protection from Fig. 1:

Gear wheel during
plasma nitriding
wear, corrosion and
fatigue
The steady increase worldwide of require-
ments on the quality and performance of fer-
rous materials as well as ever stricter environ-
mental regulations make new developments
necessary to constantly improve the wear and
corrosion protection of components and tools.
Furthermore, because the treatment of steel
surfaces can cut the need for valuable
alloying elements in the base materials, the
development of environmentally friendly and
industrially applicable methods for the process variants (Fig. 1) and combined treat- Plasma-based
modification and coating of ferrous materials ments, as well as the associated system tech- processes
is one of the most important challenges in nology. Specific application examples from
surface technology. various industries show which components
Surface zone Component or tool surfaces are subject to a can be treated by means of this method and
treatment multitude of conditions that may af fect them. how surface treatment technology can be in-
The surface zone must protect the object from tegrated in existing production lines. Finally ,
corrosion and wear , while the base material future developments in the field of plasma-
need only provide the necessary strength. based thermochemical surface treatment are
This division of function between the surface discussed.
zone and the core enables high-performance
materials to be made from low-alloy steels
using appropriate modification processes.
Thermochemical methods offer cost-effective
solutions for improving the useful properties
of steels such as resistance to wear , friction
behavior, fatigue resistance, corrosion resist -
ance and fatigue characteristics.
Thermochemical This book presents the current and environ-
method mentally friendly thermochemical treatment
processes of nitriding, nitrocarburizing and
oxidation, in particular the plasma-based
6 The nitriding process 7
most layer on a nitrided zone. Such layered

Nitriding basics compound systems are characterized by ex-
cellent corrosion resistance. The oxidation of
nitrided zones is also used in cases where the
The nitriding process friction and sliding properties or running-
The generic term nitriding refers to a ther- in behavior of ferrous materials need to be
mochemical treatment with which the sur- improved.
face zone of ferrous materials is enriched Enrichment with nitrogen or with nitrogen Nitriding media
with nitrogen (see DIN 17014). When nitro- and carbon can be achieved by means of:
gen diffuses into the surface zone, it is at • a molten salt (salt bath nitriding)
first dissolved interstitially in the iron matrix.
• a gas mixture (gas nitriding)
If the nitrogen concentration exceeds the
• a low-energy plasma (plasma nitriding).
solubility limit of 2.5 weight percent, a
single- or multi-phase nitride layer is formed.
This treatment is preferably carried out in the Salt bath nitriding
temperature range between 400 and 600°C. Salt bath nitriding has been used for decades
The familiar nitriding processes provide not in various branches of industry . The nitro-
only excellent corrosion protection but also gen penetrating the surface zone is derived
outstanding protection against wear whilst from a liquid medium consisting of molten
also allowing the dynamic characteristics of salts. The temperature of this salt bath is
components made of ferrous materials to be usually between 400 and 600°C. Cyanate,
improved. which is used to this day , undergoes cat-
Nitriding and If only nitrogen is incorporated in the surface alytic decomposition on the steel surfaces at
nitrocarburizing zone, the process is referred to as “nitriding”. these temperatures to form cyanide, carbon-
If at the same time carbon dif fuses into the ate and adsorbed nitrogen. Due to the for- Carbonitride
surface zone as a result of the addition of a mation of the carbonates, this method is only layers
carbon source to the nitriding medium, the able to produce nitride layers containing
process is called “nitrocarburizing”. Both carbon. Thus it is always a nitrocarburizing
methods are used primarily for providing process. In order to avoid carryover of the
wear protection. With the selective addition highly toxic bath constituents, the tools or
of oxygen to the nitriding atmosphere, the components must be washed thoroughly af-
process is referred to as “oxynitriding”. This ter treatment. Used salt bath materials must
process variant is used to produce a porous be disposed of in an environmentally ac-
nitride layer in the nitriding zone, which is ceptable manner.
important for the adhesion of an oxide layer Salt bath nitriding will not be discussed fur-
applied subsequently. ther in this book. It is an old technology with
Oxidation “Oxidation” in contrast is the selective oxida- a negative impact on the environment, which
tion of ferrous materials in which magnetite is increasingly being replaced by gas or
(Fe3O4) is preferably produced as the upper- plasma nitriding in industrial use.
8 Nitriding basics Layer structure of the nitrided zone 9
Gas nitriding Fig. 2:

Gas nitriding refers to nitriding or nitrocar- Layer composition of
a nitride layer with
burizing in a stream of ammonia gas at at- characteristic hard-
mospheric pressure. Within this method, the ness gradient
catalytic decomposition of ammonia provides
Microhardness
the required active nitrogen which is able
to diffuse and form the dif fusion layer and Compound Diffusion layer
layer
the compound layer . To optimize the layer
structure, nitrogen and hydrogen are also
used as additive gases, as are carbon-provid-
ing additives such as carbon dioxide, methane
Reproducible or carbon monoxide. The composition of
layer properties these gas mixtures can be varied over wide
2–20 µm 0.1–0.8 mm
ranges to achieve reproducible layer proper- Layer thickness
ties [see Chatterjee-Fischer , Ruth: Wärme-
behandlung von Eisenwerkstoffen. Nitrieren
und Nitrocarburieren (Heat Treatment of Iron thick, hard and chemically resistant. Beneath
Materials, Nitriding and Nitrocarburizing), it is the tougher dif fusion layer with a thick-
Renningen: Expert-Verlag, 1986. (ISBN ness of 0.1 to 0.8 mm (Fig. 2).
3-8169-0076-3)]. The compound layer which consists of iron
nitrides and/or carbonitrides determines the
Plasma nitriding ceramic character of the surface. The com-
Synonym: Plasma nitriding or nitrocarburizing is also pound layer assumes one of the three follow-
ionitriding or known as ionitriding or glow nitriding. It in- ing forms, according to the depth-dependent
glow nitriding volves the selective addition of nitrogen and concentration distributions of nitrogen and
in some cases carbon to ferrous materials in a carbon:
vacuum environment using a low-ener gy • a γ’-compound layer (γ’-nitride: Fe4N) Formation of
plasma. The incorporation of nitrogen and • an ε-compound layer containing more ni- the compound
carbon takes place in this case via an ionized trogen and/or carbon ( ε-nitride: Fe2-3N, layer
gas mixture consisting of nitrogen, hydrogen ε-carbonitride: Fe2-3NC)
and an additive gas containing carbon, such • a mixed-phase compound layer ( γ’-nitride
as methane or carbon dioxide. and ε-nitride).
Layer structure of the nitrided zone γ’-compound layers are tougher than ε-com-
pound layers, but they grow more slowly; at
The surface zones of nitrided ferrous materi- 2 to 6 µm thickness they are significantly
als are generally composed of two distinct thinner than typical ε-compound layers (10 to
parts. Directly on the surface is the com- 20 µm thick). The composition of the com-
pound layer which is typically 2 to 20 µm pound layer may also be modified by the pres-
10 Nitriding basics Layer structure of the nitrided zone 11
Plasma nitriding is frequently used to create

Surface Compound Diffusion nitrided zones without a compound layer , i.e.
layer layer
pure diffusion layers. The metallic character
of surfaces having little or no compound
layer provides good adhesion conditions for
Nitride precipitation zones
subsequent coating processes, such as the
Nitrogen Special nitrides physical vapor deposition (PVD) process.
Carbon
Carbides
Their hardness gradients provide protection
Special nitrides
from rupture of the hard material layer with
Porous zone Nitrogen in “solution” point or linearly distributed loads. With alter-
nating loads, residual compressive stresses in
the surface lead to a significant improvement
2–20 µm 0.1–0.8 mm of fatigue performance, which can be further
Layer thickness enhanced by combining with mechanical
processes such as shot peening or surface
rolling.
Fig. 3: ence of special nitrides and a more or less To improve the corrosion resistance, friction
Structure of the pronounced porous zone (Fig. 3). and sliding properties or aesthetics, nitrocar-
compound and
diffusion layers The considerable range of control options for burized surfaces can be oxidized subsequently.
Fig. 5:
Influence of the
the plasma-based nitriding process enables the This requires a suf ficiently thick compound alloying elements
Layer structure growth of the compound layer to be optimized layer preferably comprising the more densely chromium (Cr) and
controllable in for a specific application (Fig. 4). As a rule, a diffused ε-carbonitride phase. The magnetite
molybdenum (Mo)
the plasma mixture of both nitride phases is obtained. De- layer (Fe3O4), only 1 to 2 µm thick, provides
on surface hardness
(1 kp ≈ 9.81 N)
pending on the process control parameters,
nearly single-phase γ’ (plasma nitriding) or
ε-compound layers (plasma nitrocarburizing)
can be produced. Both types of compound
Surface hardness HV2 (kp/mm2)
Fig. 4:
layer are characterized by high resistance to
1200
Surface layers after
plasma nitriding;
a) 10 hours at 550°C
wear. As the nitrogen content increases, hard- 1000
b) 16 hours at 530°C ness, corrosion resistance and ceramic charac-
c) 20 hours 510°C ter increase and ductility decreases. 800
a b c 600
400
1 2 5 10 20
Alloying element fraction (%)

ε-compound layer γ '-compound layer Diffusion layer
12 Nitriding basics Material property modification by nitriding 13
sible for enhancing the properties. Since the No microstruc-

0.6 treatment temperature is below 600°C, no ture change,
Nitriding hardness depth (mm)
change in the microstructure due to austenitiz- low distortion

0.5 ing occurs – in contrast to annealing. During
cooling – regardless of the rate – martensite
0.4
is formed in only a few steels. The absence
0.3
of a microstructure change results in minimal
distortion.
0.2 The accumulation of nitrogen in the surface Increased
layer of components increases hardness and strength
0.1
strength, yet at the same time reduces the de-
formability. The reduced malleability of the
1 2 5 10 20
surface layer increases the stiffness. Nitriding
Alloying element fraction (%)
can significantly increase the fatigue resistance,
especially for flexural loads (Fig. 7). The extent
Fig. 6: outstanding protection against corrosion in
Influence of the conjunction with the compound layer. Fig. 7:
Increase in com-
alloying elements
chromium (Cr) and Thick ε-compound layers can be produced ponent durability due
molybdenum (Mo) quickly and economically through the appli- Plasma nitriding to plasma nitriding
on the nitriding cation of sensor-controlled gas nitrocarburiz-
hardness depth ing, which in combination with subsequent
plasma activation provides ideal conditions
Strength
for a well-bonded oxide layer with superior Fatigue
corrosion resistance. endurance
Alloying elements in ferrous materials such as limit
chromium, vanadium, molybdenum and alu- Fatigue resistance
minum form special nitrides which af fect the
surface hardness (Fig. 5) and the depth of the
diffusion layer. Typical nitriding hardness
Number of load cycles
depths (Fig. 6) are between 10 µm and 0.8 mm.
Material property modification by to which this increase occurs is determined

primarily by the formation of the dif fusion
nitriding layer. Tensile stresses, which arise with flex-
Nitriding and nitrocarburizing improves not ural or torsional stress on components, are
only the resistance to static and dynamic counteracted by the formation of residual
loads, but also the corrosion resistance. The compressive stresses. This increase in
specific structure of the compound layer and strength in the surface zone reduces the risk
the underlying dif fusion layer are respon- of crack formation and thus also of premature
14 Nitriding basics Material property modification by nitriding 15
Fig. 8: duces the tendency to react with materials in

Increase of surface the environment, including lubricants for ex-
layer hardness
resulting from
Increasing ample (tribo-oxidation). Nitrided steels have Corrosion
alloy content
specific selection of a somewhat lower resistance to corrosion resistance
process parameters than nitrocarburized steels. The latter can
endure 24 hours in salt spray fog testing
Hardness Increasing according to DIN 50021SS. Subsequent ox-
nitriding time
and temperature
idation produces a layered compound struc-
ture made of ε-carbonitride and magnetite,
which increases the corrosion resistance
more than twenty-fold. Durability results of
over 500 hours in salt spray fog are possible
with this combined process.
When processing to enhance the corrosion Plasma-based
Distance from the surface
resistance, a distinction is made between treatment
plasma nitrocarburizing and oxidation on the processes
failure (Fig. 8). The strength characteristics one hand, and the combination of gas nitro-
can be influenced by specific selection of the carburizing, plasma nitrocarburizing and oxi-
process parameters. dation in a single process sequence on the
Improved The formation of a compound layer during other hand. The latter combined process is
component nitriding significantly enhances the wear patent-protected (IONIT OX®) and combines
characteristics properties of components. This layer results the advantages of nitrocarburizing with gas
in a reduction of the friction coef ficient and and plasma. This combined plasma process
the adhesion tendency with metallic wear can achieve corrosion endurance values com-
partners. Abrasion resistance and fatigue parable to those of electroplating (Cr, Ni-Cr).
strength are greatly improved.
Hardness Furthermore, diffusion of nitrogen in the sur- Characteristics of nitride layers
gradient face zone causes a hardness gradient that ex-
tends into the base material. As a result of the Compound layer
increase in the strength of the component, • hardness: 800 to 1400 HV
lower-strength materials can be used in the • low abrasion
design of components. It must be noted that • reduced adhesion
these heat treatments result in an increase • reduced tribo-oxidation
in dimensions and roughness on finished • improved corrosion resistance.
parts. Diffusion layer
Advantages of The addition of carbon leads to the formation • hardness gradient to the base material
nitrocarburizing of hard, wear -resistant compound layers that • improved fatigue resistance against flex-
are more chemically resistant than the sur- ural and torsional stress.
faces of untreated steels. Nitrocarburizing re-
16 Nitriding basics Dimensional characteristics 17
Nitridable ferrous materials Depending on the alloying elements present in Surface hard-
the treated steels, the same treatment parame- ness and nitrid-
In principle, all steel, cast iron and sintered ters can achieve a range of surface hardness up ing hardness
materials can be nitrided. However , limita- to 1300 HV and nitriding hardness depths to depth
tions may be encountered, for example with tenths of a millimeter (T able 1). Alloying ele-
too much copper in sintered materials. The ments with a high af finity for nitrogen, such as
choice of the nitriding process or combined chromium, molybdenum, aluminum, titanium
treatment depends on the component require- or vanadium, yield especially hard surface lay-
ments. Typical steels for nitrocarburizing are ers with a high resistance to wear from sliding
construction steels, carbon steels and low-al- friction. With carbon steels and low-alloy steels,
loy steels. If, in addition to wear protection, the increase in resistance to abrasive wear and
good corrosion resistance is also required, the adhesion is also achieved together with above
process combination of nitrocarburizing and all improved corrosion resistance.
oxidation is selected.
Special nitrides The properties of nitrided surface layers are
determined by the material and the treatment Dimensional characteristics
parameters. Due to the formation of special Component dimensions generally increase Dependent on
nitrides, the nitriding of alloyed steels can somewhat as a result of nitriding (Table 2). Pre- the material
achieve a greater surface hardness than case cision-fitting parts must therefore be manufac-
hardening; however, the decrease in hardness tured to a dimension smaller than specified
in the interior of the component is more abrupt
due to the lower dif fusion depths. Since the Chromium Steel type
content
Material Increase in diameter
with reference to nitrid-
treatment temperatures used for nitriding are (weight %) ing hardness depth (%)
Table 1:
Characteristic
300 to 400°C lower than the carburizing tem- 0.4 Carbon steel C45 2
data for plasma- peratures used in case hardening, the increase 1 Case-hardened steel 16MnCr5 3
nitrided steels in hardness occurs with less distortion. 3 Nitrided steel 31CrMoV51 4
5 Hot-working steel X40CrMoV51 6
Designation AISI DIN Surface Nitriding Compound 13 Rust- and acid- X40Cr13 10
SAE hardness hardness layer thick- resistant steel
(HV2) depth (mm) ness (µm)
Construction steel 1020 1.0037 150–350 0.3–0.8 4–10 before processing. Generally speaking, compo- Table 2:
Carbon steel 1045 1.0503 350–500 0.3–0.8 4–15 nents made of unalloyed or low-alloy steels Increase in diameter
due to plasma
Case-hardened 5115 1.7131 550–700 0.3–0.7 6–10 experience an increase in length of 40 to 50 nitriding
steel
percent of the compound layer thickness dur -
Tempering steel 4140 1.7225 550–650 0.2–0.6 4–8
Nitrided steel A355 1.8550 900–1100 0.2–0.5 2–10
ing nitrocarburizing. For components made of
Hot-working steel H13 1.2344 900–1200 0.1–0.3 2–10
steels with higher degrees of alloying, the di-
Cold-working steel D2 1.2379 900–1250 0.1–0.2 – mensional behavior depends on the chromium
High-speed steel M2 1.3343 1000–1250 0.005–0.1 – content and the nitriding hardness depth. Steels
Rust- and acid- 316 1.4571 950–1300 0.05–0.1 – that form martensite while cooling down from
resistant steel the nitriding temperature shrink.
18 Generating technical plasmas 19
are referred to as DC, pulsed DC, high-fre-

Nitriding in the quency or microwave plasmas.
plasma Self-sustaining gas discharge
The characteristic curve for a self-sustaining
Generating technical plasmas gas discharge shows a number of distinguish-
ing segments. In the region of normal glow Normal and …
Plasma state Once a particular ener gy threshold (tempera- discharge, the cathode is only partially cov-
of matter ture) is exceeded, a gas in a state of thermo- ered by the discharge. The increase in current
dynamic equilibrium will enter the ionized – with the voltage nearly unchanged and the
state. This plasma state is defined as the current density constant – is coupled with a
fourth physical state of aggregation, the first growth of the glowing surface. For surface … abnormal gas
three being solid, liquid and gas. treatment, the subsequent range of the char- discharge
Technical plasmas are – in contrast to solar acteristic curve for abnormal glow dischar ge
plasmas, for example – not completely ion- is used (Fig. 9): the plasma covers the entire
ized as a rule. They are a hot, electrically con - surface of the cathode and the current density Fig. 9:
Self-sustaining gas
ductive mixture of freely moving negative and increases linearly with voltage. The segment discharge at low
positive charge carriers (electrons and ions), for abnormal glow dischar ge, however, does pressures
electrically neutral particles (atoms and mol -
ecules) and photons (light particles), which
continuously interact with one another. Counter Glow Plasma heat treatment Fluorescent Welding
Low-energy plasmas for surface treatment are

tubes discharge lamps
Low-energy stabilizers
plasma activated by a self-sustaining gas dischar ge.
The naturally occurring positive ions and
electrons in the gas mixture used are acceler-
ated in an electric field along the lines of flux
between the anode and cathode. Ener getic
collisions of the ions with neutral gas mole-
cules produce a cascade of ions by impact
Voltage
ionization. The temperature of the char ged

particles can be many times that of the
gas mixture, hence these plasmas are non-
isothermal.
Due to losses, energy must be added continu-
ously to maintain the plasma state. In techni-
cal plasmas, this is accomplished using elec- Bias
current
Normal
discharge
Abnormal
discharge
Transition
to arcing
Arc
discharge
tric fields with a constant or changing field
strength. Depending on the frequency and
Current
wave form of the field, the plasmas produced
20 Nitriding in the plasma Heat treatment in the plasma 21
not extend indefinitely. Once the voltage ex- • chemical reaction of the element in the
ceeds a critical value, local arc dischar ges metal, formation of precipitation zones.
occur. The voltage drops precipitously , the
high current density produced by glow emis- In plasma-based heat treatment, the transport
sion of electrons from the cathode leads to of the ionized particles in the reaction
local overheating and melting of the cathode. medium takes place via an electric field, in
non-plasma heat treatment processes, it oc-
Abnormal glow discharge curs via convection and diffusion.
Plasma nitriding The abnormal glow dischar ge for plasma- Since the internal ener gy of a technical Energetic effect
in the transition based thermochemical surface treatment occurs plasma is significantly higher than that of an of the plasma
zone at low pressures (10 to 1000 Pa) and at rela- equally hot gas mixture in thermodynamic
tively low potential dif ferences (electric volt- equilibrium without plasma activation, chem-
ages of 300 to 800 V) between the anode and ical reactions requiring higher activation en-
cathode in the transition zone of the negative ergies can occur in the plasma. This energetic
glow light near the cathode (the components effect of the plasma is used not only in
to be treated). The visible light emissions plasma heat treatment for thermochemical
are produced by excited atoms, ions and mol- modification of the surface zone of ferrous
ecules. materials, but also in plasma chemical vapour
deposition (CVD) for depositing hard layers
on steel materials.
Heat treatment in the plasma Gas ions arising on the cathode can initiate Cathode
Heat treatment in a technical plasma for pur- the following processes: processes
poses of incorporating a chemical element in • warming of the cathode
the metal matrix can always be divided into • knock-out of atoms, molecules or clusters
the following partial stages: of atoms and molecules by transfer of the
• chemical reaction with the formation of a momentum of the colliding particle to the
volatile compound containing the element atoms of the metal matrix
which is to be diffused into the metal • activation of dif fusion processes by an in-
crease of the void density in the region near
• diffusion of the volatile compound in the
the surface
reaction medium, transport to the surface of
• activation of reactions leading to layer for-
the substrate, removal of the reaction prod-
mation, and an increase in temperature due
ucts from the phase boundary reaction
to the heat released by the reactions.
• adsorption of the compound at the surface
of the material, interfacial reaction with the Interaction of the plasma with the solid sur-
formation of the element capable of dif fu- faces are of particular importance in plasma
sion in the metal matrix, desorption of reac- diffusion treatments. Heating of the solid
tion products body by the ion bombardment is a secondary
• diffusion of the element into the metal matrix effect which should be minimized as much as
22 Nitriding in the plasma Heat treatment in the plasma 23
possible. The component temperatures re- The positively char ged nitrogen ions acceler- Diffusible
quired for the dif fusion processes should be ated toward the component provide nitrogen nitrogen
kept as homogeneous as possible within a which is able to dif fuse due to its high kinetic
batch and be maintained with additional en- energy. It is incorporated into the surface and,
ergy sources (resistance heating). depending on the duration of the treatment and
Solid body Solid body sputtering prior to the actual start the temperature, it dif fuses into the surface
sputtering of treatment facilitates cleaning and depassi- zone of the component. The plasma nitriding
vation in addition to activation of the compo- process is regulated by precise specification of
nent surface. Not only are atoms removed the voltage, gas composition and temperature.
from the cathode surface, but ions are also im-
planted in the solid body. Typical process parameters
In order to increase the concentration of ele- • primary gases used in nitriding: nitro-
ments able to dif fuse on the surface of the gen, hydrogen
metal (the interphase region), the treatment is • primary gases used in nitrocarburizing:
carried out in special gas discharge chambers. nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide or
With plasma nitriding, treatment of the com- methane
ponents takes place in a vacuum chamber ,
• additive gas: argon
which is evacuated during treatment.
• temperature: 350 to 600°C
Process gases Low quantities of nitrogen and hydrogen (20
to 500 litres per hour) are required as process • gas pressure: 50 to 500 Pa
gases for plasma nitriding. The hydrogen is • gas consumption: from 20 l/h (lab scale)
used for depassivation or reduction of oxide to 500 l/h (industrial plant)
layers on the surface. With plasma nitrocar- • treatment time: 0.5 to 60 hours
burizing, a carbon source such as methane or • plasma power: 500 A at 0 to 800 V.
carbon dioxide is also added (3 to 15 litres
per hour). With its high atomic mass the no- The environmentally friendly plasma nitrid- Advantages of
ble gas ar gon is used as an additive gas for ing process offers some key advantages over plasma nitriding
sputtering the surface. traditional nitriding in the salt bath or with
An electrical voltage of appropriate polarity is gas. In particular the layer structure, the depth
applied between the components, which are of the hardness gradient and the homogeneity
usually placed on fixtures, and the chamber of the surface layers produced can be selec-
wall. This creates an abnormal glow dischar ge tively controlled in a manner largely indepen-
with a high current density in the process gases. dent of each other through control of the dis-
The state of the art is represented by pulsed di- charge parameters (power, voltage, pulse fre-
rect current voltages with pulse frequencies up quencies and mark-to-space ratio), the process
to 25 kHz. Pulsing not only decouples the ther- gas conditions (gas composition, pressure and
mal from the chemical process control, but it flow rate) and the component batch parame-
also suppresses the development of light arcs ters (temperature, time, heating and cooling
by the controlled toggling of the plasma power. rate).
24 Nitriding in the plasma Partial nitriding 25
Production Compared to conventional hardening proces - suming and expensive, because to be ef fec-
characteristics ses, plasma nitriding treatments are distin- tive, the compounds must be dried well be-
guished by the following manufacturing char- fore the treatment, and afterward they must
acteristics: be removed.
With plasma nitriding, areas that do not re- Mechanical
• high dimensional accuracy quire treatment can be masked mechanically . covering
• little increase in surface roughness It is necessary to ensure that the coverings are
• low, predictable increase in volume sufficiently stable, because the residual
• repair welding is possible stresses induced by nitriding might deform
• simple partial treatment. thin metal covers. If such deformation does
occur during treatment, the surface under-
Partial nitriding neath the covering could be nitrided uninten-
Layer types and thicknesses which can be tionally. Drilled holes or tapped blind holes
produced selectively during nitriding and ni- are best covered by screws.
trocarburizing are chosen to meet the opera- The plasma treatment requires an electric
tional requirements of the part. Often the contact from the component to the cathodi-
changes in properties associated with heat cally connected loading fixture. The contact
treatment are only desired on certain areas of areas cannot be nitrided. However , this limi-
the components. In particular cases, the sur- tation can be turned into an advantage in that
face treatment may need to be applied to a lo- the batching aids or receptacles for compo-
calized area (Table 3). In order to protect the nents are designed to serve as coverings at the
components from the nitriding medium in same time.
these areas and prevent nitriding, masking
Paint compounds are applied. Copper -based paint
compound compounds are suitable for nitriding and ni-
trocarburizing processes. Copper itself does
not form compounds with nitrogen or carbon
and thus provides a good dif fusion barrier.
However, this method is relatively time-con-
Production Welding after nitriding;

machining after treatment,
such as thread cutting
Function Nitride layer undesired, for example
threads or sharp edges are easily
nitrated through and embrittled.
Distortion Thin cross-sections can become
Table 3: distorted after large treatment depths
Reasons for partial due to residual compressive stresses.
nitriding
26 Nitriding and oxidation 27
Combined treatment Heating Plasma nitrocarburizing Oxidation Cooling
Evacuation
Nitriding and oxidation
575°C
Gas nitriding or gas nitrocarburizing and Temperature
Pressure/temperature
Fig. 10: oxidation (Fig. 10), plasma nitriding or 500°C
Process sequence plasma nitrocarburizing and oxidation (Fig. 1030 mbar

for the combined
treatment with gas
11), and the combination of conventional
nitrocarburizing and and plasma nitriding or nitrocarburizing
oxidation with subsequent oxidation (Fig. 12) are Pressure
Heating Gas nitrocarburizing Cooling Oxidation Cooling
12 hrs 1 hr
575°C
Evacuation
Time
Temperature 500°C
cellent corrosion protection results, together Fig. 11 (top):

with very good friction and sliding properties Process sequence
for the combined
1030 mbar Pressure for the tools or components treated. Further- treatment with
more, this combined treatment represents an plasma nitrocarbu-
environmentally friendly alternative to the rizing and oxidation
usual corrosion protection processes, such as
Gas Plasma Oxi-

Heating nitrocarburizing activation dation Cooling
3 hrs 1 hr
Time
Evacuation
Evacuation
among the most important thermochemical
corrosion protection processes in industrial Temperature
use. They also meet the increasing demands

for treatments which have a minimal environ- 1030 mbar Pressure
mental impact.
Fig. 12 (opposite): Combining conventional nitriding processes
Process sequence for such as gas nitriding or gas nitrocarburizing
the plasma combin- with the plasma processes and a controlled
ation treatment with
gas nitriding, plasma
oxidation process enables the layer and com-
activation and oxi- ponent characteristics which can be achieved
dation (IONIT OX®) with the different methods to be bundled. Ex- Time
28 Combined treatment Nitriding and oxidation 29
galvanic and chemical deposition procedures ward the component surface. The partial reac-
(nickel-plating, chrome-plating, etc.), as well tions from solid body sputtering, which leads
as an alternative to conventional salt bath to removal of surface dust and unevenness in
nitriding. the nitride from the previous gas nitrocarbu-
Fast formation During gas nitrocarburizing, the ε-compound rizing step, are especially important for later
of the compound layer with a porous zone (which ensures bet- oxidation. Plasma interactions such as parti-
layer ter adhesion of the oxide layer) is formed cle adsorption and ion implantation are used
quickly. Layer formation occurs as a result of to prevent a loss of nitrogen in the compound
chemical reactions between the process gases layer formed.
ammonia and carbon dioxide. It can be con- In the oxidation treatment subsequent to that, Cohesive,
trolled selectively via the nitriding index, i.e. a cohesive, homogeneous layer of iron oxide homogeneous
the nitriding potential of these reactions, and it is formed (Fig. 13). The resultant significant magnetite layer
occurs faster than would be possible with increase in corrosion protection (Fig. 14) is
plasma nitrocarburizing. Gas nitrocarburizing based on the combination of the plasma-based
Fig. 13: forms a more pronounced porous zone than nitriding technology (plasma activation) with
Layer structure
after the plasma plasma nitrocarburizing. the nitriding process at normal pressure (gas
combination treat- The nitride surfaces are activated subse- nitrocarburizing) and oxidation in a single
ment IONIT OX® quently by plasma nitrocarburizing. A gas process cycle.
a) Cross-section
b) Scanning electron
discharge – similar to that in plasma nitriding The nitrocarburized and oxidized compound
microscope image – ignites, and the positively charged nitrogen, layer structure provides resistance to corro-
(SEM) hydrogen and carbon ions are accelerated to- sion and wear with improved dynamic prop-
Oxide Compound Diffusion Oxide Compound

layer layer layer layer layer 600
a b 500
Resistance (hr) 400
300
200
100
0 Fig. 14:
Comparison of
Hard Chemically Plasma
chrome plated combination
corrosion resistance
1–3 15–30 200–500 2
20 µm nickel treatment after the plasma
Layer thickness in µm Layer thickness in µm combination treat-
20 µm IONIT OX®
ment IONIT OX®
30 Combined treatment Degreasing and plasma nitrocarburizing 31
Test conditions: 12.5 mV/s Layer structure with plasma

Electrolyte: 0.05 n H2SO4 combination treatment
3.0 Oxide layer
C 15 C 15 nitrocarburized
• Fe3O4 (magnetite)
• fine-grained, dense
Current (mA)
2.0
• chemically resistant
1.0
C 15 IONIT OX®
• low-friction coefficient
• reduces tribo-oxidation (frictional corro-
–1 0 1 2
sion)
• no contact corrosion with aluminum
X 8 CrNiTi 18.10
–1.0
• very good adhesion even with flexural or
shear stress
Voltage (V)
• color: anthracite to black.
Compound layer
Fig. 15 (top): erties. The effect of the oxide layer on the • high proportion of ε-nitride
Comparison of ε-compound layer can be compared with a • selective open-pored formation
corrosion character-
sealed chromium dioxide layer (CrO 2) on
istics of C15 after the • hardness 800 to 1400 HV
passivated rust-resistant steels. An unal-
plasma combination
• high resistance to wear.
treatment IONIT OX® loyed steel treated in such a way shows
a wide range of passivity (Fig. 15) with Diffusion layer
low corrosion current and high breakdown • interstitially dissolved nitrogen (Fig. 16)
potential. • hard special nitrides
• hardness gradient to the base material
100
• improved fatigue resistance due to resid-
ual compressive stresses.
90
Iron
Concentration (mass %)
80
Plasma combination treatments provide all Optimal
70
unalloyed and low-alloy steels with excellent protection
60
Nitrogen functional properties. Specially developed against wear
50
process variants provide optimal wear and and corrosion
40 corrosion resistance even with sintered steel
30 and cast iron.
20
Oxygen Carbon
10 Degreasing and plasma nitro-
Fig. 16 (opposite):
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
carburizing of sintered materials Element distribution
after the plasma
Depth (µm) Sintered materials are nitrided or nitrocarbu- combination treat-
rized primarily to decrease component wear . ment IONIT OX®
32 Combined treatment Nitriding and coating 33
The formation of a uniform compound layer the vacuum pump. For series-production com-
thus assumes particular significance. The ponents, the process is adjusted to ensure
growth and phase composition of the com- removal of the test oil in order to keep the
pound layer is determined by process para- treatment times as short as possible.
meters such as temperature, treatment time, Sintered parts nitrided on a lar ge scale in- High-volume
gas composition and surface condition of the clude synchronization components in vehicle production
components. transmissions such as synchronizer hubs (Fig. applications
The condition of sintered materials is not ideal 17) and rings, sprocket wheels from the valve
for nitriding. The surfaces are often oxidized;
Fig. 17:
the components contain test oils, waxes and Synchronizer hub
corrosion protection agents, and they are also made of sintered
porous. Since a plasma cannot penetrate into material
pores, plasma dif fusion processes are better
suited for thermochemical treatment than gas
and salt bath nitriding techniques. They are
characterized by the best dimensional stability
and deformation resistance. Plasma nitrocar-
burizing generally results in thicker , harder
layers than plasma nitriding. Whereas copper
in the base material inhibits layer growth, ni-
tride formers such as chromium or aluminum
result in harder nitride layers.
Impurities in the nitriding atmosphere due to
outgassing test oils can inhibit nitriding just
like copper. Since the requirement for sintered
parts to be free of oil, grease and wax is not
always met, the components must be cleaned
to remove such materials before nitrocarburiz- train assembly – which are sometimes com-
ing. This can either be done separately in an bined with components for the adjustable
additional furnace or as part of the process cy- camshaft timing – oil pump rotors, steering
cle in the plasma nitriding system. arms or even components from hydraulic
Cleaning, nitro- Deoiling and/or dewaxing, plasma nitrocar- pumps.
carburizing and burizing and oxidation in a single treatment
oxidation in a cycle is economical and also very environ-
single cycle mentally compatible. During a pause in the
Nitriding and coating
heating phase to the nitrocarburizing temper- In coating, new material is applied to the base
ature, oils and waxes can be removed under material under input of thermal ener gy to the
vacuum, leaving no residue. They are col- component surface. In nitriding, one also
lected in a cold trap located downstream of refers to “layers”, but these layers are pro-
34 Combined treatment Nitriding and coating 35
duced by a phase change of the base material. crease in the mechanical efficiency of moving
Since the nitride layer and the bulk material systems and reduces the need for lubricants.
are based on the same chemical element, Such a combination of coating and thermo-
bonding of the layer is generally no problem. chemical surface treatment is thus well suited
Nitriding and Nitriding increases the fatigue resistance. The to modifying contact surfaces in lubricated
PVD coating … increase in hardness in the surface zone is systems, such as transmission gears and hy-
accompanied by a reduction in toughness. draulic components made of alloyed steel,
These characteristics are prerequisites for an cast iron, special and sintered materials.
additional coating and ideal for thin func- The nitriding and coating process steps can … possible in
tional layers applied by means of physical va- take place in two separate systems. However , one system
por deposition (PVD) (Fig. 18). The diffusion a combined treatment of this type can be car-
layer, responsible for fatigue resistance of the ried out in a single cycle in a system specifi-
component and support of the PVD layer , is cally designed for that purpose. The combina-
tion provides a highly ef fective method for
a b protecting components and tools from wear
and fatigue.
c d
Fig. 18: usually 0.05 µm to 0.3 mm thick, and the

Typical PVD hard PVD functional layer on top of it is only a
material layers
a) TiCN few micrometers.
b) AlTiN Layer systems such as tungsten carbide layers
c) TiN (W-C:H) have very low coef ficients of fric-
d) CrN tion and show excellent resistance to wear .
Reduced friction leads to a significant in-
36 Automotive engineering 37
valve springs and pump covers), transmission

Overview of components (synchronizer rings, synchro-
applications nizer hubs, plate supports, clutch disks, pin-
ion shafts and shift shafts), chassis compo-
nents (ball pivots and steering pinions), brake
The first applications of the plasma nitriding components (brake cylinders, lining carriers),
process were limited to tools and devices wiper shafts and interior equipment (compo-
such as extrusion screws. The objective was nents for seat adjustments). Many of these
to make use of the improved wear resistance components require additional corrosion pro-
resulting from the greater surface hardness tection or need only be partially nitrided, for
and of the reduced tendency to cold weld due to which plasma nitriding with re-usable solid
the ceramic character of the compound layer . masking may be suitable.
The lower process temperatures, compared Forming dies (Fig. 19) for body panels are Forming dies
with other surface hardening and nitriding usually manufactured from EN-GJS-700-2 for body panels
processes, also permit low-distortion nitriding (according to DIN EN 1561) globular gray
of tool steels and steels with low tempering cast iron. Adhesions and excessive wear on the
Plasma nitriding temperatures. Variation of the process gas bending edges can cause problems if the
opens up new mixture even of fers the possibility of reduc- requirements for fitting accuracy are demand-
fields of ing the passive layer on stainless steels, thus ing with respect to gap dimensions. Nitriding
application making these nitridable for the first time. This therefore finds increasing use with these heavy Fig. 19:
opens up completely new fields of applica- tools (up to as much as 30 tons). The best re- Forming die for
tion, among others in the valve industry. sults can be achieved with a combination of in- body construction
Automotive engineering
There is a great demand in the automotive in-
dustry for parts that are both cheap and me-
chanically robust. The plasma heat treatment of
components manufactured from inexpensive
commodity steels is ideally suited for meet-
ing this demand. Plasma nitriding in particu-
lar meets the requirements for a process
largely free of dimensional distortion with re-
producible tolerances. This is of fset by the
relatively high costs for charging fixtures and
masks, which, however , amortize over their
service life in high-volume production. The
range of applications is very broad and
includes engine parts (crankshafts, camshafts,
38 Overview of applications Automotive engineering 39
duction hardening of the wearing edges – asso- at least as good, and the waste disposal prob-
ciated with an increase of base hardness and lems associated with electroplating are elimi-
microstructure refinement – and subsequent nated. The sub-surface corrosion found with
plasma nitriding. Since high hardness and a the chromium coatings, which are susceptible
low adhesion tendency is required, carbon to microcracking, cannot occur . This elimi-
dioxide is added to the process gas so that the nates the need to regrind the brake cylinders
compound layer consists mainly of ε-nitride. after electroplating. A particular advantage
Such tools can be repaired without dif ficulty worth mentioning is the corrosion protection
by grinding and re-surfacing damaged areas. that is achieved in the interior of the brake
Subsequent plasma nitriding to restore the cylinder; a feature not possible with electro-
wear-resistant surface is also no problem with plating. Processing brake cylinders in a salt
the selection of an appropriate filler material. bath is not satisfactory as too much salt is lost
The significantly denser compound layer com- in the subsequent washing, causing contami-
pared with other nitride layers increases the nation of the waste water and environmental
service life of the tool by up to a factor of 10 issues. Long-term testing shows particularly
before rework, thus saving cost- and time-con- favorable wear characteristics for the square
suming set-up work for the tool. seal on the nitrided and oxidized surface. The
Brake cylinders Today, chromium on brake cylinders (Fig. 20) advantage gained by an additional plasma
has already been replaced in lar ge-volume activation of the nitrided surface prior to oxi-
production by a combination of nitrocarburiz- dation is the superior corrosion protection
ing and oxidation. The corrosion protection is compared to straight gas nitrocarburizing-
oxidation proces ses and the outstanding
bonding strength of the oxide layer.
Ball pivots (Fig. 21) are used primarily in the Ball pivots
suspension and constitute the main part of
joints that transmit steering movements and
handle wheel location. For a long time, the
surfaces of ball pivots were not treated. The
greatly increased service life of vehicles and
the constant increase in driving performance
have increased the demands placed on these
safety-critical components so much that sur-
face treatment is now a necessity . A nitrided
surface decreases the wear as well as the fric-
tion between the ball and plastic bearing
bushing, and therefore also decreases the
counterbody wear. And because high corrosion
Fig. 20: protection must also be ensured, combination
Brake cylinder with an oxidation process is recommended.
Fig. 21: sensitive areas against nitriding while still al-

Ball pivots in salt lowing atmospheric oxidation and thus tem-
spray fog testing
porary corrosion protection of these areas.
The shift shaft (Fig. 23) is used to transfer Shift shafts
movements of the gearshift lever to the trans-
mission. The connection to the gearshift link-
age extends out of the transmission and is
therefore subject to corrosive attack by media
This also further reduces the friction coefficient

of the surface. Plasma combination treat-
ments with gas nitrocarburizing, plasma acti-
vation and oxidation have become established
for large-scale production, and even permit
the covering of threads to reduce the risk
of cracking. Corrosion protection of the
threads is accomplished by subsequent lu -
brication with oil or lacquering or sealing
(Fig. 22). A process variant for plasma nitrocar-
Fig. 22: burizing and oxidation has been developed in the environment. Furthermore, there is a Fig. 23:
Ball pivot as installed which enables solid masking to protect crack- risk of contact corrosion between the stub Shift shaft for
passenger vehicle
shaft and the transmission housing made of transmission
light alloy. The stops on the bell housing or
shift drum must function precisely even after
many thousands of shifting motions, and re-
quire corresponding protection against wear .
Reduced friction is also desirable to minimize
the force required for shifting. All these re-
quirements can be met – without subsequent
machining – by a plasma combination treat-
ment on the finished component with gas ni-
trocarburizing, plasma activation and oxida- secure bonding of the metallic surface in this
tion. Compared to the older procedure of region. This high-quality solution can only be
treating the shift shaft by case hardening, par- achieved through the use of the plasma nitrid-
tial chrome-plating and regrinding, there is ing process.
also a considerable reduction of cost. The pinion shafts (Fig. 25) installed in dif - Pinion shafts
Synchronizer Synchronizer rings (Fig. 24) in manual trans- ferential gears are precision components
rings missions ensure speed equalization between the with exacting requirements for concentricity ,
transmission gears and the drive shaft when diametric tolerance (DIN k6: approx. 10 to
changing gears. During the gear shifting 13 µm) and for the unit pressure resulting
process, the external teeth engage with the in- from the pinion running directly on the shaft.
ternal teeth of the sliding sleeve. The friction A plasma combination treatment consisting of
gas nitrocarburizing, plasma activation and
oxidation fulfills all these requirements. The
well-bonded oxide layer reduces friction and
ensures emergency operation if there is insuffi-
cient oil; a property which cannot be achieved
with conventional gas nitriding. The costs are
significantly less than those for a thermal
spray coating of the areas subject to friction;
this type of coating requires regrinding and
Fig. 24: lining on the inner cone in contact with the

Synchronizer rings clutch body accelerates or slows the gear wheel
to match the speed of the drive shaft. High pro-
tection against wear is therefore required for
the teeth, while the inner cone requires a se-
curely bonded metallic surface for applying the
friction lining. A hard, wear -resistant surface
can be achieved on the teeth by plasma nitro-
carburizing. Solid masking of the inner cone, Fig. 25:
which reliably shields the transition zone, pro- Pinion shaft as
tects the non-nitrided area and thus ensures installed
also exhibits problems with bonding strength. compressive stresses and with it an increase
Since plasma nitriding is a dif fusion process in fatigue resistance by approximately 30 per-
that modifies the surface but does not coat it, cent. The demands on the nitriding process
there are no problems with the bonding are similarly high, since on one hand there
strength. must be no compound layer created on the
The requirement to increase the performance surface of the spring subject to vibrational
and reduce the weight of engines also places stress – this would inevitably lead to rapid
corresponding demands on the valve train as- crack initiation and breakage of the spring –
sembly and power transmission. Peak RPMs and on the other hand, treatment temperatures
and torques increase, while the design be- must be relatively low to avoid loss of
comes more compact to give more ef fective strength in the spring due to a tempering ef-
Springs in the load space. Springs used in the engine (valve fect. Plasma nitriding processes can be
engine and spring) and the drive train (torsional damper adapted to these requirements, but handling
drive train springs, Fig. 26) are already optimized with of the components and particularly the batch
respect to the material and heat treatment. Up loading – many spring geometries require the
to now, the requirement for reducing the vi- making of special fixtures to avoid overheat-
brational masses and compact design could ing effects – are challenging, costly and time-
be met by vapor blasting the surface to create consuming. A sensor-controlled gas nitriding
residual compressive stresses. Howeve r, steel process based specifically on the require-
has reached the limit of improvements regard- ments of the spring industry (MET ANIT®)
ing the degree of purity , heat treatment and permits not only the manufacture of a surface
subsequent machining that can be expected with almost no compound layer , but also
from conventional means. Additional thermo- batch loading in baskets.
chemical heat treatment (nitriding), however , With oil resources becoming scarcer , the Pump cover
can achieve a further increase in residual rapeseed methyl ester mixture referred to as resistant to
“RME biodiesel” is blended in increasing biodiesel
measure with diesel fuel from fossil sources
or is also used straight as a fuel for suitable
diesel vehicles. Due to its high water con-
tent of up to more than 20 percent, phase
separation may occur when the vehicle is
parked for longer periods of time, produc-
ing an electrolyte which promotes contact
corrosion between the light-alloy housing
and the steel cover of the diesel injection
pump. The rust particles produced have a
Fig. 26:
Torsion damper
disastrous effect on the components, which
springs for the drive are sensitive due to the high demands
train placed on them. This is particularly the case
46 Overview of applications Hydraulics and fluid technology 47
Fig. 27: to that is the fact that the coatings produced

Cover of a diesel with the current processes are prone to mi-
injection pump
(biodiesel resistant) crocracking and are not gas-tight – the pneu-
matic springs lose pressure over time and fi-
nally lose their function – and are therefore
an unsatisfactory solution. For this reason,
gas- and plasma-based nitrocarburizing
processes with post-oxidation are used for
the majority of piston rods. These combine
reproducible results with the desired charac-
teristics in an environmentally friendly
process.
for the common rail direct injection systems

Hydraulics and fluid technology
used today. Thus nearly all manufacturers of A victim of the stricter environmental re-
diesel vehicles rely on pump covers (Fig. quirements is the process of chrome-plating
27) which have been nitrided and oxidized used to coat components. Combined treat-
in gas. The frequently thin-walled design ments with plasma nitrocarburizing and oxi-
(approximately 1 mm) and the final shape dation have meanwhile become established as
produced by die cutting and cold forming an economical, tech nically competitive and
mean that the covers are a great challenge environmentally friendly alternative. The par-
for batch management, process control and ticular requirements for the bonding strength,
quality assurance. In untreated condition, friction coefficients and corrosion resistance
insufficient corrosion protection (oiling) or of such layers make high-quality processes a
rough handling during transport can render necessity. Optimum results can be achieved
the pump covers useless for further process- only by adapting the sealing system to the
ing. new surface. Long-term properties in parti c-
Pneumatic Many convenience functions are based on ular show that after an initial run-in phase,
springs the use of pneumatic springs. These include nitrided and oxidized surfaces have more
raising the tailgate, trunk lid and hood. This consistent coefficients of friction and less
is also true of the seat adjustments. The pis- wear than conventional coatings. There are
ton rods must move with little friction, resist also processing advantages for components of
wear and, depending on where they are lo- particularly complex geometry.
cated and the application, be more or less A good example of this is the cylinder head Cylinder heads
well protected from corrosion. Chrome-plat- of a pump (Fig. 28) with its numerous bore for pumps
ing, which was previously widely used, has holes and complex shape. Other surface
become uncommon primarily as a result of processes cannot ensure complete coating and
environmental issues and rising costs. Added provide inferior bonding of the oxide layer
48 Overview of applications Hydraulics and fluid technology 49
Fig. 28: Fig. 29:

Cylinder head of a Cylinder head of a
positive displacement positive displacement
pump pump as installed
and/or less corrosion resistance or are much

more expensive. Since the magnetite layer
exhibits no contact corrosion with other met-
als, nearly any material combination can be
used in hydraulics. Subsequent varnishing,
lacquering, sealing is also no problem, al-
though it is not necessary for corrosion pro-
tection (Fig. 29). proven itself in the field of metal work-
Piston rods Piston rods are the most common actuators ing. The dimensions of the piston rods are
in hydraulics. The primary requirements for limited only by the size of the vacuum
this component include low wear , low fric- chamber.
tion with the seals used on the piston rod Figure 30 shows a body used as a clamp in Components for
and high corrosion protection in environ- oil production which holds the drill pipe (up oil production
ments where it is required. Suitable sealing to 350 tons) while the drill head is extended
systems for nitrided and oxidized surfaces or replaced. Low friction is required for low
have been tested and frequently constitute a breakaway torque in the chuck cone and ar-
better combination than conventional seals ticulation. Corrosion protection poses a par-
on chrome-plated surfaces. Damaged piston ticularly demanding requirement, since the
rods can be repaired by grinding the dam- work is often of fshore and – in volcanically
aged spot, repair welding, precision-grinding active zones – the material is subjected to
and renewed plasma nitrocarburizing and oxi- very corrosive flush water from the well.
dation. This method of repair has already These high-stress components can achieve the
50 Overview of applications Food industry 51
Fig. 30:
Body for oil
exploration
required properties by using plasma combina- spindles and wear on the valve flaps with- Fig. 31:
tion treatment with the sub processes gas nitro- out reducing the resistance to corrosive Extrusion screws
carburizing, plasma activation and post-oxi- media.
dation.
Food industry
Chemical industry The surfaces produced by nitriding or
Components The field of chemistry uses primarily high- nitriding and oxidation in gas and/or plasma
for plastics quality materials. High-strength steels are have been approved for the food industry .
processing made into guide bars and extrusion screws An exception to this is when the environ-
(Fig. 31) for plastics processing, with ment is strongly acidic (p H < 4.5), since this
plasma nitriding providing the required can dissolve the protective magnetite layer
protection against wear. Component distor- on non-stainless steel. In porous compound
tion can be prevented by suspending com- layers, which are generally produced in a
ponents and careful process control with pure gas nitriding process, residues can re-
slow heating and cooling cycles. Dimen- main in the pores after cleaning, making the
sions of more than 20 meters in length have use of such layers in the food sector imper-
already been handled in this manner . In the missible. A solution for these cases is to use Treating
Valves valve industry, rust- and acid-resistant acid-resistant stainless steels which achieve components
steels are used which must maintain their high surface hardness with acceptable cor- for acidic
corrosion protection. Plasma nitriding at rosion protection by plasma nitriding at low environments
low temperatures inhibits the erosion of temperature.
52 Overview of applications Engineering 53
Engineering Fig. 32:

Gear cutter during
plasma nitriding
Machine parts In the field of engineering, fasteners, devices,
fittings, bolts, toothed gears, cold and hot
forming tools and a number of other machine
parts are nitrided as a matter of tradition. These
are mostly custom jobs or small lots. The re-
quirements are as diverse as the number of
applications. The advantage of nitriding is
that finished components can be surface-
treated and usually require no subsequent ma-
chining.
The toughest requirements for wear protec-
tion can be met by plasma nitriding and sub-
sequent PVD coating in a combined process.
The PVD layer, with a hardness up to 2500 HV,
provides secure protection in conjunction
with the hardness gradient of the dif fusion
zone even against point or linearly distributed plasma nitriding and a PVD coating has
loads, which are a problem for a simple PVD proven advantageous for the service life of
coating on softer substrates. Aside from gear cutters. It significantly reduces the risk
Formed parts formed parts, this layered compound struc- of edge fracture and increases the service in-
ture is also used for heavy-duty components tervals for regrinding and recoating of the
made of inexpensive base materials that do surface.
not have suf ficient intrinsic hardness for a
PVD coating. The economic advantage of
this approach has already been demonstrated
in high-volume production applications.
Machining tools Machining tools are often made of high-speed
steels (HSS). The tendency to form cold
welds or built-up edges can be reduced by ni-
triding (Fig. 32). The significantly greater
surface hardness leads to an increase in wear
resistance. Grinding stresses are relieved by
the tempering effect. The combination with an
oxidation process enables a firmly bonded
oxide layer to be formed, which gives the tool
even greater corrosion resistance and im-
proved sliding properties. The combination of
54 Treatment 55
more detail and compared with gas nitriding.

Process technology After that, the combined treatment of gas ni-
trocarburizing, plasma nitriding and nitrocar-
Pretreatment burizing and subsequent oxidation mentioned
previously will be described.
In general, components to be nitrided are
completely finished and can be used without Sequence of plasma nitriding
further machining after the plasma treatment. Treatment in the plasma nitriding system oc-
Cleaning and However, a physically clean, grease-free, curs in a series of individual process steps.
degreasing … bare metallic surface on the parts to be The achievement of predefined process condi-
treated is important for the quality of the heat tions automatically switches the system con-
treatment. The components must therefore be trol to the next step. The sequence can be de-
cleaned and degreased prior to treatment. Un- scribed in a simplified manner as follows.
til a few years ago, solvent baths were used The cleaned parts are individually fixed in Loading of
for this purpose. Today, the baths used con- the vacuum chamber where they become the the vacuum
tain aqueous alkaline solutions. Stubborn dirt cathode for the gas dischar ge (Fig. 33). The chamber
and grime can be removed with ultrasound. chamber wall serves as the anode. It is impor-
Subsequent drying with hot air prevents the tant to realize that the contact areas of the
formation of rust and spots.
The cleaning quality is determined by the
method (ultrasound, immersion or spraying),
the bath composition, the bath temperature
and the cleaning time. In fully automatic in-
line washing systems with heated cleaning
baths, the components travel in baskets or on
pallets down the cleaning line and then
… in the through a dryer. The baskets or pallets are de-
batching rack signed to be used afterward as a batching
rack during plasma nitriding. Individual
zones on the parts which are not to be hard-
ened (such as threads) can be mechanically
masked after cleaning (for partial nitriding).
Treatment
In the following section, the treatment se-
quence for plasma nitriding, the most widely Fig. 33:
Batch of ball pivots
used plasma-based heat treatment process for prior to loading in
industrial applications, will be explained in the system
56 Process technology Treatment 57
parts will not be nitrided. Care has to be Fig. 34:

taken with bore holes and hollow spaces, Batch during the
plasma treatment
since the components can become overheated
by hollow dischar ges that occur . Optimal
setting of the gas pressure prevents hollow
discharges.
Evacuation, After the chamber is closed, it is first evacu-
flooding, ated to under 10 Pa with a vacuum pump.
heating The chamber is then flooded with nitrogen to
just below atmospheric pressure. The partial
vacuum keeps the closed chamber air -tight,
so the parts cannot be oxidized by air enter-
ing the system. An integrated heater and cir-
culation of the nitrogen ensures uniform heat-
ing of the batch to approximately 500°C. With
large parts, a dwell time at this temperature
must be provided to allow the parts to heat
through properly.
Evacuation, Afterward, the chamber is evacuated again glow discharge at constant regulated tempera-
introduction and the treatment gas (a nitrogen-hydrogen ture for up to 20 hours (Fig. 34). The vacuum
of the process mixture) is introduced. At a pressure of 10 to pump continuously removes the used gas and
gases, gas 500 Pa the voltage is slowly increased. The this is replenished with fresh gas. The low
discharge gas discharge ignites at approximately 500 V working pressure keeps the gas consumption
(abnormal glow dischar ge) and spreads low (100 to 400 litres per hour).
evenly over the entire surface of the parts. After the end of the treatment, the chamber is Flooding,
Modern voltage generators use a pulsed flooded with nitrogen and the circulation fan cooling, batch
unipolar or bipolar direct current voltage. In carries the heat to the chamber wall. The wall removal
this phase, an additional cleaning of the sur- is cooled by externally mounted fans. Once the
face takes place as a result of the intense ion batch temperature is below 100°C, the cham-
bombardment (sputtering). The increased ki- ber can be opened and the parts removed.
netic energy of the heavy ions such as nitro-
gen, argon and carbon dioxide striking the Comparison of gas nitriding and plasma
surface atomizes the uppermost atomic layers nitriding
of the components and ensures optimal clean- Since gas nitriding takes place in an atmos-
ing of the surface in preparation for the sub- phere with a slight positive pressure, the
sequent diffusion process. chamber need not be vacuum-tight and no
Plasma The final treatment temperature selected vacuum pump is necessary . However, be-
formation (usually about 570°C) depends on the mater- cause hydrogen and ammonia are used in
ial. The parts are exposed to the abnormal high concentrations, the chamber must be prop-
58 Process technology 59
erly sealed. The components can be handled

as bulk materials. Even parts that are covered Conceptual design
will be nitrided by the reactive gas. Special of plasma nitriding
Regulating the sensors are needed for regulating the gas at-
nitriding index mosphere. These measure the hydrogen and
carbon concentration in the chamber and reg-
systems
ulate the chemical equilibrium of the ammonia
dissociation (nitriding potential). The present-day plasma nitriding systems
consist of a vacuum chamber with external
Sequence of the combined treatment with heating (furnace), a pump unit, gas supply , a
gas nitrocarburizing, plasma nitriding or power element and a system control. The vac-
nitrocarburizing and oxidation uum chamber is the lar gest component of the
Heat treatment systems developed especially plasma nitriding system. It can be heated in
for this combined treatment operate with two ways:
low-pressure processes such as plasma nitrid-
• by the plasma only
ing and plasma nitrocarburizing as well as the
gas nitrocarburizing and oxidation processes • by the combination of resistance heating
at normal pressure. The individual processes and plasma.
can also be carried out without having to adapt With very large, densely packed batches con- Heating with
the system. The high degree of automation, sisting of several thousand parts, or very plasma only
low consumption of energy and process mate- heavy, solid parts, heating can be accom-
rials as well as the consistent elimination of plished with the glow dischar ge alone. The
manual process steps provide a considerable large surface area of the batches requires high
cost advantage. plasma power. The temperature of the com-
The process sequence (see Fig. 12, p. 27) also ponents increases very rapidly with this kind
consists of a series of steps with a number of of heating. The chamber wall is thermally in-
process parameters that can be programmed sulated and provided with an external air
individually. Gas nitrocarburizing uses a mix- cooler for selective cooling.
ture of ammonia, nitrogen and carbon diox- With the combination of the plasma nitriding Multi-zone
ide. The plasma treatment steps can be fine- and oxidation methods and with many applica- resistance
tuned by variation of the plasma voltage, tions of straight plasma nitriding, the chamber heating
plasma current, pulse frequency and pulse/ wall is also heated externally with a multi-zone
pause ratio. Oxidation takes place after that, resistance heater (Fig. 35). This enables the
and as the final step, cooling takes place with plasma power to be set to a lower valve. The
nitrogen circulation. An external gas/water lower the plasma power setting, the more ho-
heat exchanger can be used for faster cooling. mogeneous the temperature distribution in the
batch. However, there is a minimum plasma
power required to achieve good nitriding re-
sults. High-alloy steels require, for example,
60 Conceptual design of plasma nitriding systems Conceptual design of plasma nitriding systems 61
Fig. 35: controls the gas composition, can recognize

Plasma nitriding Gas circulation malfunctions and react immediately with a
system with
resistance heater message. The devices are combined with pres-
sure reducers, pressure switches and solenoid
valves in a compact gas control station. Prop-
erly positioned sensors for hydrogen, ammo-
Vacuum
chamber nia and other process gases monitor the air in
the plant and trigger an alarm if the threshold
Cooling
Batch limit values (TLV) are exceeded.
Plasma generators are available as pulse gen- Plasma
3-zone erators for unipolar and bipolar operation with generator
heater
power up to 800 V at 320 A. The pulse fre-
quency is 1 to 25 kHz. Compared with pulsed
DC generators, pulse generators have the ad-
vantage that most of the arc dischar ges are
suppressed as they occur. Extremely fast over-
current shut-off prevents the arc dischar ges
that occur from causing damage to the parts.
Another advantage of pulse generators is the
Vacuum pump option for continuous regulation of the plasma
current at constant voltage via the pulse/pause
ratio. This facilitates exact temperature con-
more plasma power than low-alloy steels at the trol of the parts, leads to more even tempera-
same treatment temperature. ture distribution and saves energy.
Vacuum pump The vacuum pump station should be dimen- The system control is equipped with state-of- System control
station sioned to allow evacuation of the chamber in the-art electronics and is designed for fully
a reasonable period of time compared with automated processing. It provides a well-or-
the overall treatment time. Thus for chambers ganized display that facilitates operation. The
larger than 1000 litres volume, pumping sta- use of industrial PCs makes networking sim-
tions with a two-stage rotary vane pump com- ple and enables remote diagnosis and mainte-
bined with a rotary piston pump (Roots pump) nance to be performed. The system control
are used frequently. Pressure regulation in the and power element are constructed compactly
chamber is handled by controlling the speed and located in cabinets to protect the electric
of the Roots pump. components from dust and spray water.
Gas metering Gas metering today is accomplished predomi- Plasma nitriding systems are available as bell,
nantly with electronically controlled gas flow pit or chamber furnace systems. Depending
regulators. These devices communicate di- on the system design selected and the capaci-
rectly with the system control to determine set ties required, single, tandem or multiple sys-
values and report actual values. The computer tems can be built.
62 Conceptual design of plasma nitriding systems Pit furnace systems 63
Bell furnace systems Fig. 37:

Bell furnace system
Bell furnaces (Fig. 36) are used if the com- with dual base
ponent or the batch has to be easily accessi- platforms
ble for the system operator . It is advanta-
geous to be able to access the batch from
several sides. This makes it much easier , for
example, to place thermal elements in the
batch to achieve a homogeneous temperature
distribution.
Fig. 36:
Loading diagram for
a bell furnace system
Batch
system, it nonetheless has the advantage that

a batch can be nitrided on one base while a
new batch is prepared on the other platform.
This saves a lot of time.
Single-part Bell furnace systems are used particularly

Pit furnace systems
production for single-part production and for mixed Pit furnace systems are used particularly in Series manu-
batches, but also for lar ge parts. They are series manufacturing and for long compo- facturing and
also suited for processing series-production nents such as spindles, extrusion screws or long components
parts, particularly with the integration of au- shafts. Mixed batches can also be treated. Pit
tomated batch loading systems and robots. furnaces are loaded from the top using a
They can be designed as single and tandem crane (Fig. 38). They have the advantage of
systems. fast batch change. Single, tandem or even
Figure 37 shows a typical bell furnace sys- multiple furnace systems can be constructed.
tem, consisting of two platform bases, a fur- Tandem systems reduce the downtime for
nace bell and a hydraulic lifting device. batch loading and removal. Multiple systems
Although this design is not a true tandem maximize the cost advantage.
64 Conceptual design of plasma nitriding systems Chamber furnace systems 65
Fig. 38: Fig. 39:

Loading diagram for Loading diagram for
a pit furnace system a chamber furnace
system
Batch
Batch
The components in a chamber furnace system

(Fig. 40) are the vacuum chamber, heating unit,
charging fixture, locking chamber door , vac-
uum system, controller, gas supply and plasma
generator. Integrated forced cooling reduces the Fig. 40:
Chamber furnace
cooling times, and fast cooling with a heat ex- system for complete
The main components in a pit furnace system changer accelerates cooling even more. body working tools
are the vacuum chamber, heating unit, charg-
ing fixture, cover lifting and pivoting mecha-
nism, vacuum system, controller , gas supply
and plasma generator . Pit furnace systems
usually have integrated forced cooling to re-
duce the cooling times. Additional quick
cooling systems designed as heat exchangers
shorten the cooling times even more.
Chamber furnace systems

Little space Chamber furnace systems (Fig. 39) are used
required particularly if there is little space available for
the installation, for example when the ceiling is
low. They are suited for plasma nitriding of
large single parts such as cutting or forming
dies as well as for the production of series
Simple parts. Chamber furnace systems can be
integration in integrated comparatively easily in existing pro-
production lines duction lines. Heat treating operations in partic-
ular often have automated batching and con-
veyer systems that can be integrated very well.
66 Conceptual design of plasma nitriding systems Work safety and environmental protection 67
Fig. 41 (opposite):
Integration of a
Work safety and environmental
Incoming goods Quality assurance
plasma nitriding protection
system in the surface
treatment of ball Working safety regulations dictate how those
pivots for steering working in a production facility are protected
systems in auto-
motive engineering
from the risks associated with the work
processes. Environmental protection in this
case is the protection of the environment of a
system or a production facility from hazardous Cleaning
materials produced in solid, liquid or gaseous
form during manufacturing or processing,
which may escape into the environment. In Polishing
Statutory Germany, the Chemicals Act (ChemG) and the Screwing/
regulations associated Ordinance on Hazardous Substances batch loading
(GefStoffV) are among the cornerstones of
work safety. In addition, there are the Technical
Rules for Hazardous Substances (TRGS). Par-
ticularly worth mentioning is TRGS 900 (expo-
sure limit values in workplace atmosphere),
also known as the “MAK” list (MAK is the
Oiling
German acronym for “maximum workplace
concentration“). The Federal Immission Con-
trol Act (BImSchG) as well as the associated
implementation ordinances (BImSchV) and ad-
ministrative regulations (BImSchVwV) are of
primary importance in controlling emissions
and are better known as the Technical Instruc- Packaging
tions on Air Quality Control (TA-Luft).
Environmentally Encapsulated extraction systems minimize the
friendly plasma exposure of operating personnel using plasma
nitriding systems nitriding systems. In the combination pro cess
of plasma nitriding or plasma nitro carburizing
with oxidation, exhaust air is passed through a
pilot flame and then vented into the atmosphere
via an exhaust duct above the roof of the plant.
Due to the envir onmental friendliness of the
process, plasma nitriding systems can be inte- Outgoing goods
grated directly into the production process Plasma heat treatment
without problems (Fig. 41).
68 Trends and future outlook 69
ing more expensive. The layer combination

Trends and future of iron nitride with magnetite of fers effective
outlook corrosion protection for all construction
steels, carbon steels, low-alloy steels, case-
hardened and nitrided steels, tempering
In the past 30 years, the plasma nitriding of steels, cast iron and sintered materials. The
iron-based alloys has become a recognized nitriding of cheaper steels makes it possible
technique for industrial production along with to save on raw materials in the form of alloy-
salt bath nitriding and gas nitriding. The estab- ing elements. Component properties can be
lished advantages of the plasma process cause improved several-fold by the incorporation of
it to be used with increasing frequency. In the nitrogen. Furthermore, low-alloy steels are
future, conventional nitriding processes such easier to process.
as salt bath nitriding will be subject to in- Surface treatment in the plasma, in gas or by
creasing regulation by environmental authori- combined processes such as gas nitrocarbu-
ties. However, plasma technology is available rizing, plasma nitriding and oxidation or ni-
as an alternative which with respect to emis- triding and coating is the final processing step
sion values, can be classified as environmen- in the manufacture of components. Subse-
tally friendly. quent machining is not necessary . Compo-
Combination Above all the combination of plasma nitriding nent dimensions increase in a controlled and
treatment and gas nitriding in a single process cycle calculable manner. Undersize manufacturing
and … offers definite advantages. This allows the enables finishing steps such as regrinding to
diffusion zone to be produced by the plasma be eliminated.
and the compound layer in the gas step. This In combination with a subsequent oxidation,
saves gases during long treatment periods one obtains a product that not only satisfies
and allows the advantages of the compound requirements for wear and corrosion in opera-
layer produced in the gas atmosphere, for tion, but which can also be recycled without
example the strongly developed porous zone difficulty. Such components can be remelted
and fast layer growth, to be exploited. in the blast furnaces of the steel industry with-
Combined treatments without processing in- out the need for additional processing steps.
terruptions such as nitrocarburizing with The process variant involving the hardening … process
subsequent oxidation or plasma nitriding with of stainless steel in plasma at lower tempera- variants all
subsequent coating are very promising and tures without loss of the corrosion resistance the rage
have already led to a significant increase of also has considerable application potential.
applications in the surface treatment of low- Systems with plasma activation can be
alloy steels. integrated in existing production lines with-
The prices of zinc and chromium on the out difficulty due to the flexibility of the
world market are rising steadily . As a conse- system technology and its proven environ-
quence, the methods for galvanizing, chromiz- mental safety. Today there are plasma nitrid-
ing and also hard chrome-plating are becoming systems in service companies for long
70 Trends and future outlook
or bulky components that could not be The company behind this book
processed before.
Nitriding and PVD coating technology is used not only for METAPLAS IONON
Oberflächenveredelungstechnik GmbH
PVD coating in tool coating but also increasingly for the coat- Am Böttcherberg 30–38
one system ing of components. This requires system de- D-51427 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
signs that are suitable for highly auto- Phone: +49 (0) 22 04/2 99-0
mated, large-scale production. System de- Fax: +49 (0) 22 04/2 99-2 66
signs that enable nitriding as well as coating E-mail: metaplas@sulzer.com
in a single cycle will become established. Internet:www.sulzer.com
Low-alloy steels are particularly well suited The original MET APLAS IONON company was established
for this technology . Low concentrations of in 1984 in the field of PVD coating technology . With the pur-
particular alloying elements (Cr , Al, V, Mo chase of Klöckner IONON in 1993, MET APLAS IONON ex-
and Mn) enable high surface hardnesses to be panded its activities to the field of plasma-based heat treatment.
achieved with nitriding and consequently pro- In 2001 the company was purchased by Sulzer Metco, a leading
international supplier of surface technology . Sulzer Metco (sur-
vide an excellent base for the subsequent ap-
face technologies and service) is one of four core divisions of the
plication of a hard material or low-friction Sulzer Group along with Sulzer Pumps (pumps and associated
functional layer. service), Sulzer Chemtech (components and service for separa-
tion columns and static mixing) and Sulzer Turbo Services (re-
pairs and service for thermal turbo machinery).
METAPLAS IONON is active in three areas of business on the
market: its service centers for contract treatment of fer state-of-
the-art system technology and operate fully automatically with in-
dustrial robots in some areas. The experience gained in the ser-
vice centers is applied to the ongoing ef forts in system engineer-
ing: METAPLAS IONON develops and builds complete turnkey
systems covering the range from pretreatment to coating and
heat treatment systems, including posttreatment systems and the
infrastructure equipment required for operation. This includes
knowledge transfer in the form of licenses and patents. The high-
est standard of quality – certified according to ISO/TS
16949:2002 – is guaranteed. Furthermore, MET APLAS IONON
offers shop-in-shop solutions. We operate our own systems and
make them available on-site to customers.
The two basic technologies of MET APLAS IONON are of fered
under different brands. The MAXIT® brand covers the field of
PVD coating technology . The IONIT® and IONIT OX® brands
cover plasma heat treatment. The combination of both technol -
ogies has meanwhile become established on the market.
METAPLAS IONON

Plasma-Assisted Surface Treatment: Verlag Moderne Industrie

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++Metaplas_Umbruch_eng_5.0:++Metaplas_Umbruch_eng_5.0 03.07.

2006 8:47 Uhr Seite 1

verlag moderne industrie

Thomas auf dem Brinke, Jürgen Crummenauer,

This book was produced with the technical collaboration of

4 Protection from wear, corrosion and fatigue 5

Protection from Fig. 1:

6 The nitriding process 7

most layer on a nitrided zone. Such layered

8 Nitriding basics Layer structure of the nitrided zone 9

Gas nitriding Fig. 2:

10 Nitriding basics Layer structure of the nitrided zone 11

Plasma nitriding is frequently used to create

Alloying element fraction (%)

12 Nitriding basics Material property modification by nitriding 13

sible for enhancing the properties. Since the No microstruc-

change in the microstructure due to austenitiz- low distortion

Material property modification by to which this increase occurs is determined

14 Nitriding basics Material property modification by nitriding 15

Fig. 8: duces the tendency to react with materials in

16 Nitriding basics Dimensional characteristics 17

18 Generating technical plasmas 19

are referred to as DC, pulsed DC, high-fre-

Low-energy plasmas for surface treatment are

ionization. The temperature of the char ged

20 Nitriding in the plasma Heat treatment in the plasma 21

22 Nitriding in the plasma Heat treatment in the plasma 23

24 Nitriding in the plasma Partial nitriding 25

Production Welding after nitriding;

26 Nitriding and oxidation 27

Combined treatment Heating Plasma nitrocarburizing Oxidation Cooling

Process sequence plasma nitrocarburizing and oxidation (Fig. 1030 mbar

Heating Gas nitrocarburizing Cooling Oxidation Cooling

cellent corrosion protection results, together Fig. 11 (top):

Gas Plasma Oxi-

corrosion protection processes in industrial Temperature

use. They also meet the increasing demands

28 Combined treatment Nitriding and oxidation 29

Oxide Compound Diffusion Oxide Compound

Resistance (hr) 400

30 Combined treatment Degreasing and plasma nitrocarburizing 31

Test conditions: 12.5 mV/s Layer structure with plasma

32 Combined treatment Nitriding and coating 33

34 Combined treatment Nitriding and coating 35

Fig. 18: usually 0.05 µm to 0.3 mm thick, and the

valve springs and pump covers), transmission

38 Overview of applications Automotive engineering 39

40 Overview of applications Automotive engineering 41

Fig. 21: sensitive areas against nitriding while still al-

This also further reduces the friction coefficient

42 Overview of applications Automotive engineering 43

Fig. 24: lining on the inner cone in contact with the

44 Overview of applications Automotive engineering 45

46 Overview of applications Hydraulics and fluid technology 47

Fig. 27: to that is the fact that the coatings produced

for the common rail direct injection systems

48 Overview of applications Hydraulics and fluid technology 49

Fig. 28: Fig. 29:

and/or less corrosion resistance or are much

50 Overview of applications Food industry 51

52 Overview of applications Engineering 53

Engineering Fig. 32:

more detail and compared with gas nitriding.