The behaviour of nitrided compounds to tribological, chemical and electrochemical demands is dependent
of the structure of the compound layer. Its behaviour to cyclic, mechanical and thermal demands depends on the base material of the component.
Compound layers formed from ε-nitride are capable of providing protection layers against a wide spectrum
of damaging mechanisms that rise from complex tribological and chemical demands.
The high hardness of the iron-nitiride leads to a high resistance against abrasive wear.
The turn to adhesion of ε-nitirde layers is due to its hexagonal structure and hardness.
Iron nitrides are passivated and have a high resistance against neutral salt solutions, atmospheric solutions
and tribooxidation.
A negative influence can be seen with dynamic demands because of the low stiffness of the compound layer.
The precipitates of nitride in the inner intrinsic marginalised layer leads to increase strength and to compressive
forces at the surface, this effect is still exhibited at high temperatures.Hence diffusion layers have higher hardness
and compressive stresses in comparison to the bulk material leading to a better high temperature strength
and tempering resistance.
The at low temperature formed precipitaion layer is also very stable at verifyng teperatures higher than
the nitriding temperature. This justifes the use of nitrided components i.e. nitrided hotworking tools or valves
operating at temperatures above the nitriding temperature.

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