How Controlled Nitriding and Ferritic Mtrocarburizing Improve Productivity, Quality, and Bottom Line

摘要

Both nitriding and ferritic mtrocarburizing of ferrous alloys are thermo-chemical surface treatments used to increase hardness and toughness, protecting dies from wear, and increasing the lifespan of expensive tooling. The key to the successful optimization of those processes for specific applications such as aluminum extrusion dies is precise atmosphere control, which allows shaping the surface properties according to exacting specifications. The paper explores aspects of process control fundamentals and resulting metallurgical results directly related to aluminum extrusion dies. It discusses the differences between controlled nitriding and mtrocarburizing in terms of hardness, wear resistance, and also cracking, flaking, and other surface problems that affect profile quality. Finally, the authors present and discuss actual production data obtained in different aluminum extrusion plants, showing the influence of controlled nitriding or ferritic mtrocarburizing on die lifespan, wear, and the amount of die corrections.