A new method for low-temperature gaseous nitriding of iron

摘要

We present a new method, for obtaining nitride layers in iron at low temperatures. In this method, bulk iron is coated with a thin layer of nickel. This Ni-covered Fe is treated in a NH{sub}3/H{sub}2 ambient at a temperature of 325°C. Analysis isdone by using Elastic Recoil Detection, X-Ray Diffraction and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry. From these analyses it is shown that nitride layers are formed in Fe which is covered with a Ni layer, while uncovered Fe is oxidised by impurities inthe gas. The influence of the Ni layer is discussed. It is shown that it is possible to obtain pore-free iron nitride layers at low temperatures.