What exactly is the parasitic white layer that forms after iron parts are treated with ammonia?Chemically...
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What exactly is the parasitic white layer that forms after iron parts are treated with ammonia?
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I have little to do with chemistry and my only background is the inorganic chemistry I learned at school when I was 13-14 years old.
I need to have a basic understanding of the nitrating process (for an automation engineering application, more precisely an automated furnace used for nitrating iron or steels parts with the purpose of improving their mechanical and chemical properties).
A few things are not so clear for me:
- What is the chemical formula of the iron lattice mixed with nitrogen atoms (see the picture)?
- What is the unwanted white layer that I understand forms on the surface of the metal part treated with dissociated ammonia?
- What is this dissociated ammonia?

Gas nitriding
inorganic-chemistry metallurgy
New contributor
Robert Werner is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
I have little to do with chemistry and my only background is the inorganic chemistry I learned at school when I was 13-14 years old.
I need to have a basic understanding of the nitrating process (for an automation engineering application, more precisely an automated furnace used for nitrating iron or steels parts with the purpose of improving their mechanical and chemical properties).
A few things are not so clear for me:
- What is the chemical formula of the iron lattice mixed with nitrogen atoms (see the picture)?
- What is the unwanted white layer that I understand forms on the surface of the metal part treated with dissociated ammonia?
- What is this dissociated ammonia?

Gas nitriding
inorganic-chemistry metallurgy
New contributor
Robert Werner is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
(1) Natrium is the Latin name for sodium, hence the elemental symbol Na. (2) What "white layer"? -- Do you mean the iron atoms that are shown as white circles?
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
Nitrogen, sorry! The "white layer" is not shown in the picture.
$endgroup$
– Robert Werner
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I have little to do with chemistry and my only background is the inorganic chemistry I learned at school when I was 13-14 years old.
I need to have a basic understanding of the nitrating process (for an automation engineering application, more precisely an automated furnace used for nitrating iron or steels parts with the purpose of improving their mechanical and chemical properties).
A few things are not so clear for me:
- What is the chemical formula of the iron lattice mixed with nitrogen atoms (see the picture)?
- What is the unwanted white layer that I understand forms on the surface of the metal part treated with dissociated ammonia?
- What is this dissociated ammonia?

Gas nitriding
inorganic-chemistry metallurgy
New contributor
Robert Werner is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
I have little to do with chemistry and my only background is the inorganic chemistry I learned at school when I was 13-14 years old.
I need to have a basic understanding of the nitrating process (for an automation engineering application, more precisely an automated furnace used for nitrating iron or steels parts with the purpose of improving their mechanical and chemical properties).
A few things are not so clear for me:
- What is the chemical formula of the iron lattice mixed with nitrogen atoms (see the picture)?
- What is the unwanted white layer that I understand forms on the surface of the metal part treated with dissociated ammonia?
- What is this dissociated ammonia?

Gas nitriding
inorganic-chemistry metallurgy
inorganic-chemistry metallurgy
New contributor
Robert Werner is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Robert Werner is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 11 hours ago
Gaurang Tandon
5,32862764
5,32862764
New contributor
Robert Werner is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
Robert WernerRobert Werner
1163
1163
New contributor
Robert Werner is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Robert Werner is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Robert Werner is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$begingroup$
(1) Natrium is the Latin name for sodium, hence the elemental symbol Na. (2) What "white layer"? -- Do you mean the iron atoms that are shown as white circles?
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
Nitrogen, sorry! The "white layer" is not shown in the picture.
$endgroup$
– Robert Werner
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
(1) Natrium is the Latin name for sodium, hence the elemental symbol Na. (2) What "white layer"? -- Do you mean the iron atoms that are shown as white circles?
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
Nitrogen, sorry! The "white layer" is not shown in the picture.
$endgroup$
– Robert Werner
yesterday
$begingroup$
(1) Natrium is the Latin name for sodium, hence the elemental symbol Na. (2) What "white layer"? -- Do you mean the iron atoms that are shown as white circles?
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
(1) Natrium is the Latin name for sodium, hence the elemental symbol Na. (2) What "white layer"? -- Do you mean the iron atoms that are shown as white circles?
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
Nitrogen, sorry! The "white layer" is not shown in the picture.
$endgroup$
– Robert Werner
yesterday
$begingroup$
Nitrogen, sorry! The "white layer" is not shown in the picture.
$endgroup$
– Robert Werner
yesterday
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
Steels are nitrided in ammonia gas at 900 to 1050 F ; It forms a very hard , very thin ( < 0.01 ") hard layer of iron nitride . An addition of aluminum alloy to the steel ( 0.5 to 1.0 % ) enhances the nitriding. Nitriding is applied typically to cutting tools like drill bits and wearing surfaces. At higher temperatures "carbo-nitriding " is done where C and N are diffused into the steel surface. The "white layer" is something seen in a metallographic sample at high magnification -100 x and higher. It is undesirable and apparently unidentified as the ASM handbooks refer to it as only "white layer" ; they give procedures to remove it if necessary . The white layer should be thin , even compared to a 0.005 " thick layer of nitride. Plain ammonia or dissociated ammonia may be used with slightly different procedures.
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
ah... yes. I overlooked the "cation" Gas nitriding in the OP's post. So the picture is for creating a layer of iron nitride, not using Fe as a catalysts in reaction between hydrogen and nitrogen to make ammonia.
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
No guesses regarding what the chemical composition of the white layer might be?
$endgroup$
– Night Writer
12 hours ago
add a comment |
Your Answer
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1 Answer
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$begingroup$
Steels are nitrided in ammonia gas at 900 to 1050 F ; It forms a very hard , very thin ( < 0.01 ") hard layer of iron nitride . An addition of aluminum alloy to the steel ( 0.5 to 1.0 % ) enhances the nitriding. Nitriding is applied typically to cutting tools like drill bits and wearing surfaces. At higher temperatures "carbo-nitriding " is done where C and N are diffused into the steel surface. The "white layer" is something seen in a metallographic sample at high magnification -100 x and higher. It is undesirable and apparently unidentified as the ASM handbooks refer to it as only "white layer" ; they give procedures to remove it if necessary . The white layer should be thin , even compared to a 0.005 " thick layer of nitride. Plain ammonia or dissociated ammonia may be used with slightly different procedures.
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
ah... yes. I overlooked the "cation" Gas nitriding in the OP's post. So the picture is for creating a layer of iron nitride, not using Fe as a catalysts in reaction between hydrogen and nitrogen to make ammonia.
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
No guesses regarding what the chemical composition of the white layer might be?
$endgroup$
– Night Writer
12 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Steels are nitrided in ammonia gas at 900 to 1050 F ; It forms a very hard , very thin ( < 0.01 ") hard layer of iron nitride . An addition of aluminum alloy to the steel ( 0.5 to 1.0 % ) enhances the nitriding. Nitriding is applied typically to cutting tools like drill bits and wearing surfaces. At higher temperatures "carbo-nitriding " is done where C and N are diffused into the steel surface. The "white layer" is something seen in a metallographic sample at high magnification -100 x and higher. It is undesirable and apparently unidentified as the ASM handbooks refer to it as only "white layer" ; they give procedures to remove it if necessary . The white layer should be thin , even compared to a 0.005 " thick layer of nitride. Plain ammonia or dissociated ammonia may be used with slightly different procedures.
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
ah... yes. I overlooked the "cation" Gas nitriding in the OP's post. So the picture is for creating a layer of iron nitride, not using Fe as a catalysts in reaction between hydrogen and nitrogen to make ammonia.
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
No guesses regarding what the chemical composition of the white layer might be?
$endgroup$
– Night Writer
12 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Steels are nitrided in ammonia gas at 900 to 1050 F ; It forms a very hard , very thin ( < 0.01 ") hard layer of iron nitride . An addition of aluminum alloy to the steel ( 0.5 to 1.0 % ) enhances the nitriding. Nitriding is applied typically to cutting tools like drill bits and wearing surfaces. At higher temperatures "carbo-nitriding " is done where C and N are diffused into the steel surface. The "white layer" is something seen in a metallographic sample at high magnification -100 x and higher. It is undesirable and apparently unidentified as the ASM handbooks refer to it as only "white layer" ; they give procedures to remove it if necessary . The white layer should be thin , even compared to a 0.005 " thick layer of nitride. Plain ammonia or dissociated ammonia may be used with slightly different procedures.
$endgroup$
Steels are nitrided in ammonia gas at 900 to 1050 F ; It forms a very hard , very thin ( < 0.01 ") hard layer of iron nitride . An addition of aluminum alloy to the steel ( 0.5 to 1.0 % ) enhances the nitriding. Nitriding is applied typically to cutting tools like drill bits and wearing surfaces. At higher temperatures "carbo-nitriding " is done where C and N are diffused into the steel surface. The "white layer" is something seen in a metallographic sample at high magnification -100 x and higher. It is undesirable and apparently unidentified as the ASM handbooks refer to it as only "white layer" ; they give procedures to remove it if necessary . The white layer should be thin , even compared to a 0.005 " thick layer of nitride. Plain ammonia or dissociated ammonia may be used with slightly different procedures.
edited yesterday
answered yesterday
blacksmith37blacksmith37
74018
74018
1
$begingroup$
ah... yes. I overlooked the "cation" Gas nitriding in the OP's post. So the picture is for creating a layer of iron nitride, not using Fe as a catalysts in reaction between hydrogen and nitrogen to make ammonia.
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
No guesses regarding what the chemical composition of the white layer might be?
$endgroup$
– Night Writer
12 hours ago
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
ah... yes. I overlooked the "cation" Gas nitriding in the OP's post. So the picture is for creating a layer of iron nitride, not using Fe as a catalysts in reaction between hydrogen and nitrogen to make ammonia.
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
No guesses regarding what the chemical composition of the white layer might be?
$endgroup$
– Night Writer
12 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
ah... yes. I overlooked the "cation" Gas nitriding in the OP's post. So the picture is for creating a layer of iron nitride, not using Fe as a catalysts in reaction between hydrogen and nitrogen to make ammonia.
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
ah... yes. I overlooked the "cation" Gas nitriding in the OP's post. So the picture is for creating a layer of iron nitride, not using Fe as a catalysts in reaction between hydrogen and nitrogen to make ammonia.
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
No guesses regarding what the chemical composition of the white layer might be?
$endgroup$
– Night Writer
12 hours ago
$begingroup$
No guesses regarding what the chemical composition of the white layer might be?
$endgroup$
– Night Writer
12 hours ago
add a comment |
Robert Werner is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Robert Werner is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Robert Werner is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Robert Werner is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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$begingroup$
(1) Natrium is the Latin name for sodium, hence the elemental symbol Na. (2) What "white layer"? -- Do you mean the iron atoms that are shown as white circles?
$endgroup$
– MaxW
yesterday
$begingroup$
Nitrogen, sorry! The "white layer" is not shown in the picture.
$endgroup$
– Robert Werner
yesterday