Carbonitriding is a case hardening process similar to carburizing, but carried out at somewhat lower temperature with both carbon and nitrogen available at the surface. The added nitrogen increases hardenability of the case and can improve wear resistance for smaller low-carbon steel parts.
Compared with deep carburizing, carbonitriding is often used for shallower cases and high-volume small parts.
The process can produce good surface hardness with less time at temperature, though case depth is typically shallower than for conventional carburizing.
At Braddock, carbonitriding would be appropriate for low-carbon steel components where a moderate case depth and strong wear performance are required without full through-hardening.
Carbonitriding is commonly used on smaller steel components that require a hard surface and tough interior.
The process is commonly run in roughly the 1400°F to 1650°F range in an atmosphere containing both carbon-bearing and nitrogen-bearing species. Carbon and nitrogen diffuse into the surface during the soak, and the part is then quenched to form a hard martensitic case.
Because nitrogen increases case hardenability, carbonitriding can be effective on steels with lower alloy content.
Process control still matters: excessive compound formation or uncontrolled atmosphere chemistry can lead to brittle surface behavior or inconsistent case depth.
Braddock would control atmosphere chemistry, process temperature, time, and quench practice to produce the specified case depth, surface hardness, and core condition.
