Ferrite salt bath nitrocarburizing process and its various trade names-A review

Abstract

Salt bath Ferritic Nitrocarburizing is a thermochemical diffusion process, which is gaining popularity due to its low cost and simplicity in obtaining the desired tribological properties in steels. Although a significant literature is available but these processes are growing so widely, that a series of confusions occur to the readers in understanding the different types of Nitriding/Nitrocarburizing processes. Global sourcing of these processes has increased the confusion of buyers and design engineers in different countries. In general, differentiating these surface modification processes from each other is too ambiguous and complex in nature due to the multiplicity of trade names used to describe the various commercial processes of Nitrocarburizing. The aim of the present study is to clear the obscurity between various trade names of ferritic salt bath nitrocarburizing process. This paper covers the review of available research publications, Patents, books and technical data of various heat treatment process industries.