Nitriding is a case hardening method, which is used to increase the hardness of a component's surface. During the nitriding process, the material is heated, before being exposed to a substance which contains nitrogen (ammonia is commonly used). This results in the formation of nitrides on the surface of the component, which are much harder than the material.
Nitriding can be used on materials such as tool steel, low carbon steel, stainless steel and alloy steels, in order to increase wear resistance. Unlike traditional case hardening methods, the quenching process is not used, reducing the risk of distortion. However, a brittle outer layer may develop during nitriding, meaning that there is commonly a need for secondary operations such as grinding, which can increase the overall cost.