Thermochemical surface engineering significantly improves the properties of steels. Edited by two of the world's leading authorities, this important book summarises the range of techniques and their applications. It covers nitriding, nitrocarburizing and carburizing. There are also chapters on low temperature techniques as well as boriding, sheradizing, aluminizing, chromizing, thermo-reactive deposition and diffusion.

About the editors List of contributors Woodhead Publishing Series in Metals and Surface Engineering Introduction Part One: Fundamentals 1: Thermodynamics and kinetics of gas and gas-solid reactions Abstract 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Equilibria for gas-exchange reactions 1.3 Equilibria for gas-solid reactions 1.4 Kinetics of gas-exchange reactions 1.5 Kinetics of gas-solid reactions 1.6 Phase stabilities in the Fe-N, Fe-C and Fe-C-N systems 2: Kinetics of thermochemical surface treatments Abstract 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Development of an interstitial solid solution 2.3 Precipitation of second phase particles in a supersaturated matrix 2.4 Product-layer growth at the surface 2.5 Conclusion 3: Process technologies for thermochemical surface engineering Abstract 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Different ways of achieving a hardened wear-resistant surface 3.3 Furnaces 3.4 Gaseous carburising 3.5 Gaseous carbonitriding 3.6 Gaseous nitriding and nitrocarburising 3.7 Variants of gaseous nitriding and nitrocarburising 3.8 Gaseous boriding 3.9 Plasma assisted processes: plasma (ion) carburising 3.10 Plasma (ion) nitriding/nitrocarburising 3.11 Implantation processes (nitriding) 3.12 Salt bath processes (nitrocarburising) 3.13 Laser assisted nitriding 3.14 Fluidised bed nitriding Acknowledgements Part Two: Improved materials performance 4: Fatigue resistance of carburized and nitrided steels Abstract 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The concept of local fatigue resistance 4.3 Statistical analysis of fatigue resistance 4.4 Fatigue behavior of carburized microstructures 4.5 Fatigue behavior of nitrided and nitrocarburized microstructures 4.6 Conclusion 5: Tribological behaviour of thermochemically surface engineered steels Abstract 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Contact types 5.3 Wear mechanisms 5.4 Conclusions 6: Corrosion behaviour of nitrided, nitrocarburised and carburised steels Abstract 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Corrosion behaviour of nitrided and nitrocarburised unalloyed and low alloyed steels: introduction 6.3 Nitriding processes and corrosion behaviour 6.4 Structure and composition of compound layers and corrosion behaviour 6.5 Post-oxidation and corrosion behaviour 6.6 Passivation of nitride layers 6.7 Corrosion behaviour in molten metals 6.8 Corrosion behaviour of nitrided, nitrocarburised and carburised stainless steels: introduction 6.9 Austenitic-ferritic and austenitic steels: corrosion in chloride-free solutions 6.10 Austenitic-ferritic and austenitic steels: corrosion in chloride-containing solutions 6.11 Ferritic, martensitic and precipitation hardening stainless steels 6.12 Conclusion Part Three: Nitriding, nitrocarburizing and carburizing 7: Nitriding of binary and ternary iron-based alloys Abstract 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Strong, intermediate and weak Me-N interaction 7.3 Microstructural development of the compound layer in the presence of alloying elements 7.4 Microstructural development of the diffusion zone in the presence of alloying elements 7.5 Kinetics of diffusion zone growth in the presence of alloying elements 7.6 Conclusion 8: Development of the compound layer during nitriding and nitrocarburising of iron and iron-carbon alloys Abstract 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Compound layer formation during nitriding in a NH3/H2 gas mixture 8.3 Nitrocarburising in gas 8.4 Compound layer development during salt bath nitrocarburising 8.5 Post-oxidation and phase transformations in the compound layer 8.6 Conclusion 9: Austenitic nitriding and nitrocarburizing of steels Abstract 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Phase stability regions of nitrogen-containing austenite 9.3 Phase transformation of nitrogen-containing austenite and its consequences for the process 9.4 Phase stability and layer growth during austenitic nitriding and nitrocarburizing 9.5 Properties resulting from austenitic nitriding and nitrocarburizing 9.6 Solution nitriding and its application 10: Classical nitriding of heat treatable steel Abstract 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Steels suitable for nitriding 10.3 Microstructure and hardness improvement 10.4 Nitriding-induced stress in steel 10.5 Nitriding and improved fatigue life of steel 11: Plasma-assisted nitriding and nitrocarburizing of steel and other ferrous alloys Abstract 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Glow discharge during plasma nitriding: general features 11.3 Sputtering during plasma nitriding 11.4 Practical aspects of sputtering and redeposition of the cathode material during plasma nitriding 11.5 Plasma nitriding as a low-nitriding potential process 11.6 Role of carbon-bearing gases and oxygen 11.7 Practical aspects of differences in nitriding mechanism of plasma and gas nitriding processes 11.8 Best applications of plasma nitriding and nitrocarburizing 11.9 Methods for reducing plasma nitriding limitations Acknowledgements 12: ZeroFlow gas nitriding of steels Abstract 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Improving gas nitriding of steels 12.3 Current gas nitriding processes 12.4 The principles of ZeroFlow gas nitriding 12.5 Thermodynamic aspects of nitriding in atmospheres of NH3 and of two-component NH3 + H2 and NH3 + NH3diss. mixes 12.6 Kinetic aspects of nitriding in atmospheres of NH3 and of two-component NH3 + H2 and NH3 + NH3diss. mixes 12.7 Using the ZeroFlow process under industrial conditions 12.8 Applications of the ZeroFlow method 12.9 Conclusion 13: Carburizing of steels Abstract 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Gaseous carburizing 13.3 Low pressure carburizing 13.4 Hardening 13.5 Tempering and sub-zero treatment 13.6 Material properties 13.7 Furnace technology 13.8 Conclusion Part Four: Low temperature carburizing and nitriding 14: Low temperature surface hardening of stainless steel Abstract 14.1 Introduction 14.2 The origins of low temperature surface engineering of stainless steel 14.3 Fundamental aspects of expanded austenite 15: Gaseous processes for low temperature surface hardening of stainless steel Abstract 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Surface hardening of austenitic stainless steel 15.3 Residual stress in expanded austenite 15.4 Prediction of nitrogen diffusion profiles in expanded austenite 15.5 Surface hardening of stainless steel types other than austenite 15.6 Conclusion and future trends 16: Plasma-assisted processes for surface hardening of stainless steel Abstract 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Process principles and equipment 16.3 Microstructure evolution 16.4 Properties of surface hardened steels 16.5 Conclusion and future trends 17: Applications of low-temperature surface hardening of stainless steels Abstract 17.1 Introduction 17.2 Applications in the nuclear industry 17.3 Applications in tubular fittings and fasteners 17.4 Miscellaneous applications 17.5 Conclusion Part Five: Dedicated thermochemical surface engineering methods 18: Boriding to improve the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of steels Abstract 18.1 Introduction 18.2 Boriding of steels 18.3 Mechanical characterisation of borided steels 18.4 Corrosion resistance of steels exposed to boriding 18.5 Conclusion 19: The thermo-reactive deposition and diffusion process for coating steels to improve wear resistance Abstract 19.1 Introduction 19.2 Growth behavior of coatings 19.3 High temperature borax bath carbide coating 19.4 High temperature fluidized bed carbide coating 19.5 Low temperature salt bath nitride coating 19.6 Properties of thermo-reactive deposition (TRD) carbide/nitride coated parts 19.7 Applications 19.8 Conclusion 20: Sherardizing: corrosion protection of steels by zinc diffusion coatings Abstract 20.1 Introduction 20.2 Pretreatment, surface preparation and processing 20.3 Diffusion heat treatment 20.4 Post-treatment, inspection and quality control 20.5 Corrosion behavior and mechanical properties 20.6 Applications 21: Aluminizing of steel to improve high temperature corrosion resistance Abstract 21.1 Introduction 21.2 Thermodynamics 21.3 Kinetics 21.4 Aluminizing of austenitic stainless steel - experimental examples 21.5 Applications 21.6 Conclusion Acknowledgements Index