Carbonitriding
Carbonitriding Services in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
For industries demanding improved surface hardness and wear resistance in their metal components, carbonitriding is a vital heat treatment process. Southwest Metal Treating, proudly serving the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX area, offers specialized carbonitriding services, leveraging over 30 years of expertise. Our state-of-the-art furnace equipment technology ensures exceptional heat treatment solutions across various sectors, including machine shops, oil & gas operations, aerospace, cutlery & hand tool manufacturing, turbine manufacturing, stamping companies, and forging companies. We are dedicated to precision and attention to detail, ensuring every component meets rigorous quality standards.
Benefits
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Superior Case Hardness: The combined addition of carbon and nitrogen produces a harder and more wear-resistant case than carburizing alone, ideal for components exposed to friction, load cycles, or impact.
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Increased Hardenability: Particularly effective for plain carbon and low-alloy steels, carbonitriding raises hardenability, allowing critical core strength to be retained while surface properties are enhanced.
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Low Distortion Processing: Operating at lower temperatures (typically 820–900°C) and requiring only mild oil quenching, carbonitriding minimizes distortion and the risk of quench cracking—making it ideal for tight-tolerance, high-volume parts.
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Process Efficiency: Well-suited for clean mass production of small components, such as fasteners, gears, bushings, and pins, with excellent process repeatability and shorter cycle times.
Carbonitriding Process Details
Carbonitriding is a thermochemical diffusion process in which both carbon and nitrogen are simultaneously introduced into the surface layer of steel components to improve surface hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue strength. Compared to traditional carburizing, carbonitriding operates at lower temperatures (typically 820–900°C) and shorter cycle times, resulting in reduced part distortion and improved process efficiency for small, high-precision components.
Process Overview:
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Material Evaluation: The process begins with the selection of suitable low-carbon or low-alloy steels (≤ 0.25% carbon), optimized for case hardening. Aluminum content is typically minimized to prevent nitride formation that could impair diffusion.
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Atmosphere Control: Components are treated in a carefully regulated gaseous environment with carbon potentials of 0.5–0.8% and nitrogen additions of 0.2–0.4%, promoting the formation of a stable austenitic layer and improved hardenability.
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Austenite Stabilization: The nitrogen content helps reduce critical quenching speed, enabling the use of milder quenching media (typically oil), which significantly limits distortion compared to water quenching.
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Quenching & Tempering: After reaching the desired diffusion depth (typically up to 0.7 mm), parts are directly oil-quenched to lock in hardness. Final tempering at 150–200°C helps relieve stresses and fine-tune case properties for optimal tribological performance.
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Application and Materials
Carbonitriding treatment is optimized for improving surface hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue performance—especially in components where dimensional stability and surface durability are critical. At Southwest Metal Treating, we specialize in precise control of case depth and composition.
Typical applications include:
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Powertrain and transmission components (gears, shafts, spline couplings)
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Rolling and sliding contact parts (rollers, bearings, cams)
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Actuation and load-bearing parts in hydraulic and pneumatic systems (levers, pins, pistons)
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Wear surfaces in tooling and machinery assemblies
Suitable materials for carbonitriding:
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Low-carbon steels and low-alloy steels with ≤ 0.25% C
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Mild steels with controlled aluminum content to reduce nitride formation
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Free-cutting steels with added sulfur or lead
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Sintered and powder metallurgy components requiring improved surface integrity
The dual addition of carbon and nitrogen during the treatment process results in a hardened case with superior resistance to adhesive and abrasive wear, while maintaining a tough, ductile core. This makes carbonitriding particularly valuable for components subjected to cyclic loading, sliding contact, or impact in high-volume production environments.
For precision-controlled carbonitriding with proven process repeatability and tailored case profiles, Southwest Metal Treating delivers consistent performance across automotive, aerospace, and heavy machinery applications.
Why Work with Southwest Metal Treating
Southwest Metal Treating distinguishes itself with unparalleled expertise and cutting-edge technology in carbonitriding. Our team is committed to delivering heat treatment solutions meticulously tailored to the stringent requirements of each industry we serve. Our extensive experience ensures that our carbonitriding services consistently exceed expectations, providing reliable performance and durability under challenging conditions.
Request a Quote
Elevate the quality and durability of your metal components with our expert carbonitriding services. Request a quote from Southwest Metal Treating today and discover how our precision-focused approach can transform your products. Our dedicated team is ready to provide tailored solutions that align with your specific industry needs. Reach out now to experience premier service and expertise in the field.
