Liquid Nitriding (Salt Bath Nitriding) FAQ

Where Does Liquid Nitriding Work?

15. What materials can be liquid nitrided and which cannot?

    Only ferrous materials (materials whose major ingredient is the element iron), i.e. all steels, including stainless steels and cast irons, are considered candidates for Liquid Nitriding. However, other materials containing minor percentages of iron may also produce some benefit from Liquid Nitriding.

16. Can non-iron bearing materials be Liquid Nitrided? Are there any limitations?

    Liquid Nitriding is intended for use on ferrous materials only; that is, materials whose largest constituent is iron. But, if the material contains even a small amount of iron, some nitriding may occur – as is the case with some grades of high-nickel alloys such as Inconel 600.

17. Can powder metallurgy (PM) components be Liquid Nitrided?

    Ferrous materials manufactured using a Powder Metallurgy (PM) processing route can be effectively treated by ARCOR^® Liquid Nitriding, provided the density of the part the part is above a certain minimum threshold. For details, please contact TS USA.

18. Can certain surfaces of the part be masked to avoid nitriding them?

    Masking to prohibit nitriding in specific areas is technically possible using plating, or, certain masking compounds; however, this typically not done due to cost, and/or marginal effectiveness in the liquid bath environment.

19. Can parts which are already surface heat treated in some way (induction hardening, case carburized etc.) be Liquid Nitrided? If so, are there any factors to consider?

    Heat-treated parts are often Liquid Nitrided. However, if a reduction in the heat-treated hardness and strength is to be avoided, the temperature of the nitriding treatment must be set below that of the prior heat treatments.

20. If the part has small diameter holes and deep cavities, is it possible to nitride them uniformly?

    No nitriding or nitrocarburizing process can nitride small holes and deep cavities with complete uniformity. However, Liquid Nitriding is by far the most capable of generating a uniform compound layer in these regions of a component.

21. What are typical Liquid Nitriding applications?

    Liquid Nitriding is used across a vast and diverse range of industries - the largest segment is the Automotive. Other prominent application industries/applications are: Oil & Gas; Firearms; Construction & Material Handling equipment; Power Generation; Hydraulic & Pneumatic equipment; Transportation and general industrial equipment. For more application details, please refer to the HEF USA web-site at: www.hefusa.net or contact TS USA.

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