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Ion Nitriding Services
Overview of Ion Nitriding Services
Ion nitriding is a form of case hardening that increases the surface hardness of materials to a pre-desired depth, measured from the exposed surface inward toward the core. At Solar Atmospheres, we use ion nitriding on low and medium alloy steels, tool and mold steels, high speed steels and stainless steels to total case depths ranging from .001”-.025.” Resulting surface hardness can be as high as low RC 70’s depending on the material chosen, core hardness, and the total case depth. Ion nitriding provides extended wear life, compressive stresses on the part surface to reduce fatigue failure, and minimizes process-related distortion all with shorter processing times than often required in other processes.
The ion nitriding process results in a high voltage electrical glow discharge. Partial pressure gas is introduced to the vacuum, creating this electrical plasma field via the opposite high voltage polarities between the work (parts and fixtures) and the furnace bell jar. Selective ion nitriding can be performed on many types of parts if required by way of mechanical masks and/or paintable stop-offs. Often this is desirable where further machine work will be done after ion nitriding or if other processes will be performed to those areas. With multiple furnaces available and sizes that range from small laboratory to large vertical, a broad array of part styles and sizes can be accommodated.
Because ion nitriding services are performed in a vacuum chamber, it yields the same benefit of vacuum heat treating, which is clean work produced from an oxygen free atmosphere. By initially evacuating the chamber to a soft vacuum state, 100 microns or less, oxygen is removed from the vessel prior to introducing the partial pressure gases necessary to prepare the surface and subsequently create nitrides. An oxygen free environment coupled with the glow discharge enables removal of surface oxides prior to nitriding. This is especially beneficial for stainless steel grades because no chemical treatments are required beforehand.
At Solar Atmospheres, we ion nitride gears, punches, shafts, engine components, extrusion screws, dies, molds, bearing surfaces and various tooling. These parts come from the automotive, plastic, machine tool, textile, aerospace and tool manufacturer markets. Creative fixturing methods are combined with knowledge of the equipment process technology, permitting flexibility to the customers needs. Carefully combining upgrades in equipment design to modern instrumentation, Solar’s ion nitriding furnaces are capable of handling most applications suitable for a glow discharge process. Please contact us (link to contact form) for assistance with all your ion nitriding needs.
Solar Advantages of Ion Nitriding Services
- Minimize distortion
- Shorter cycle times
- Clean parts
- Adjustable cycles
Materials Processed USING ION NITRIDING*
- Low to Mid-carbon Alloy Steels: 41XX, 43XX, 53XX, 86XX, 93XX series
- Stainless steels: 300 series, 400 series, 15-X PH, 17-X PH
- Tool steels: A-2, O-2, H-13, P-20, S-7, Nitralloy, M-2, T-15