Study of ion-nitriding

Abstract

A study of ion nitriding has been conducted in a nitrogen‐hydrogen‐argon gas mixture with emphasis on the mechanism and the active plasma ingredients which cause nitriding. The study is based on mass and energy data of ions sampled through a 4‐mil hole in the cathode, metallurgical data, and gas‐absorption data. The results of the experiment demonstrate that ion nitriding is not a gas‐absorption process. Ion nitriding requires ionic bombardment. Nitrogen ions and nitrogen‐hydrogen molecular ions are the active plasma ingredients. Nitrogen‐hydrogen molecular ions are responsible for the superior nitriding properties produced by a nitrogen‐hydrogen plasma compared to the properties produced by a nitrogen or nitrogen‐noble gas mixture.