Carbonitriding

Carbonitriding is the thermochemical treatment that promotes the simultaneous superficial enrichment of carbon and nitrogen on steel parts, in order to obtain extremely hard surfaces and tenacious cores, associated with other mechanical properties such as fatigue resistance, wear resistance and torsion resistance.

Carbonitriding in salt bath is a treatment situated between nitriding and carburizing. That is why its temperature is between the ones used in these two processes.

The nitrogen offer, which shall be diffused in the steel, will depend on the composition of the bath and also on its temperature. The nitrogen offer diminishes with the increase of the temperature.

Because of this, carbonitriding is subdivided into:

• Carbonitriding above A1 (750ºC a 850ºC)
• Carbonitriding bellow A1 (700ºC a 720ºC)