Tribological advanages of nirocarburizing over carbonitriding : influence of the composition and architecture of the compound layer

Créé le : 23/10/2013

Pierre-François Cardey, Alexandre Fleurentin - 01/09/2013 - RC - 40th Leeds-Lyon symposium on tribology & tribochemistry forum 2013 - 4-6 septembre 2013 - Lyon…

Nitrocarburizing and carbonitriding are two thermochemical treatments for surface hardening of steel parts using diffusion of carbon and nitrogen.

By carbonitriding, hardening is obtained by martensitic transformation, which requires process temperature from 800 up to 850°C.

By nitrocarburizing, hardening is obtained by precipitation of nitrides and carbonitrides at temperatures near to 570°C. Moreover, nitrocarburizing leads to the formation in surface of a compound layer (called “white layer” – see figures 1 and 2) composed of iron nitrides γ’ (Fe4N) and ε (Fe(2,3)N). It is this non-metallic layer that gives tribological behaviour to nitrocarburised steel.

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