English processes industries people & culture news locations & contact improves the corrosion resistance of alloys Nitrotec® Aalberts surface technologies > processes > Nitrotec® what is Nitrotec®? the process benefits of Nitrotec® fields of application groundbreaking industries locations & contact what is Nitrotec®? Nitrotec® (nitriding-oxidising-protection) is a patented thermo-chemical diffusion process, during which the surface of steels is nitrocarburized and next oxidized, cooled and – if requested – sealed. Nitrotec® combines the useful properties of the nitrocarburizing (improved surface hardness and wear resistance, enhanced fatigue strength, nihil distortion) with the high resistance against atmospheric corrosion, increased yield strength and an attractive black finish. the process Nitrotec®-layers are created in nitrogen and carbon submitting gaseous atmospheres at temperatures between 540-740⁰C. The treatment generates compound layers, supported by nitrogen rich diffusion zones in the base material. The choice of process temperature, time and nitrogen potential of the atmosphere in relation to the type of steel, controls the structure, composition and hardness of the compound layer and the diffusion zone underneath. The innovative oxidation technique and the special water based quenchants, as well as the organic sealing are based on the technical demands for the application. At the surface an iron oxide layer (Fe3O4) is formed for improvement of the corrosion resistance of the material. Underneath the oxide layer a compound layer is present, which consists of iron nitrides, iron carbides and nitrides or carbonitrides of the alloying elements. At process temperatures above 590⁰C, a nitrogen-rich austenite layer is formed between the compound layer and diffusion zone. The transition to the core is formed by the diffusion zone, which consist of iron (ferrite)matrix, supersaturated with nitrogen and possibly precipitated nitrides. In common with other low temperature surface treatments, Nitrotec® does not introduce distortion into the part, this means that components can be used and fitted directly after treatment. The conventional Nitrotec® has a pleasing black appearance and vastly superior corrosion resistance to zinc plating. These low temperature diffusion treatments make low alloy and mild steels up to four times stronger, produce wear resistance equal to hard chromium plating and result in a black finish that has outstanding resistance to corrosion. An important member of the family of Nitrotec® treatments is NITROTEC®-S, a multi-stage process, where parts are first machined to a final surface finish, Nitrotec® treated, surface polished in a controlled manner, followed by a post oxidizing treatment. This finish gives a dramatic improvement in frictional characteristics and corrosion resistance properties, superior to those obtained when using hard chromium plating techniques. benefits of Nitrotec® Toughest in wear resistance Surface hardness Strengthening Bearing (tribological) characteristics Surface finish Aesthetic finish Dimensional control Layer fields of application The types of components that are treated with Nitrotec® include: Pistons, Ball Studs and Other Mild Steel Components. Nitrotec® is a replacement for chromium plating. It is more environmentally friendly and delivers heat treatment of steels and alloys very successfully. Improvements in performance can significantly reduce the manufacturing and material cost of components, a fact proved repeatedly by the automotive industry as they use treated pressed parts. groundbreaking industries we serve tool manufacturing process locations Any questions? Contact us directly or select a process location near you. get in touch heat treatment Birmingham United Kingdom 489 km info.birmingham@aalberts-st.com +44 121 322 2280 show location heat treatment Venlo (Lomm) the Netherlands 122 km info.venlo@aalberts-st.com +31 77 308 1333 show location show all locations processes industries people & culture locations & contact news downloads follow us terms and conditions | data protection statement | legal notice | certificates cookies The Aalberts websites use cookies (read more) to analyse website usage and improve usability. We also use third party tracking-cookies to measure user preferences, enable content sharing on social media and interest-based advertising. If you hit 'accept' you allow to us to place the different types of cookies. settings accept all