Advancing Stainless Steel Properties Through High Temperature Solution Nitriding: A Focus On Powder Metallurgy

Authors:

Giorgio Valsecchi (TAV VACUUM FURNACES, Italy)

Abstract:

High-temperature solution nitriding (HTSN) is a thermochemical treatment that exposes stainless steel to nitrogen gas at specific pressures (below or above atmospheric) and high temperatures (1000°C–1200°C). This process introduces nitrogen into the surface of austenitic, ferritic, and martensitic stainless steels, enhancing their hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. The HTSN process is followed by a rapid cooling to room temperature, necessary to retain the nitrogen in solid solution without forming chromium nitrides; for that reason, vacuum furnaces dedicated to HTSN need to be specifically designed for such process. A variation of HTSN is also used for Ni-free austenitic stainless steel, such as X15 CrMnMoN17-11-3, which requires a precise amount of nitrogen in solid solution to stabilize the austenitic microstructure at room temperature.This article examines HTSN’s applications for powder metallurgy stainless steel components, detailing process parameters and specialized vacuum furnace designs.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59499/EP256767090