NITEMPER - FERRITIC NITROCARBURISING IN ATMOSPHERE FURNACES.

The Nitemper process is a heat treatment performed in a controlled atmosphere at a temperature of 570 degree C, i. e. , just below the austenitic range of the iron-nitrogen system. The reducing atmosphere used has an excess of nitrogen and carbon, producing the same desirable surface characteristics of wear resistance, resistance to fretting and increased fatigue strength as with salt bath nitrided components. The fact that the process is performed in a controlled atmosphere also creates the possibility of more easily modifying the composition of the surface layer as far as the nitrogen and carbon content are concerned; there is no time limit for the treatment. The already marked ecological advantages of the gas process are likely to become even more important in the light of more stringent environmental standards and associated legislation.