Cases that contain both carbon and nitrogen are produced in liquid salt baths (cyaniding) or by use of gas atmosphere (carbonitriding). Commercial carburizing compounds usually consist of hardwood charcoal, coke and about 20 percent of barium carbonate. After making arrangements with their custom shop and completely detail stripping the gun, ship it to H&M. While H&M works with big gun companies, they also run a custom shop that can work on individual customers and custom pieces. This process is particularly used for parts requiring a very thin hard case, such as screws, small gears, bolts and nuts. important method for the manufacture of plastic gears, is covered in Chapter 4. $92.82. A modern computerised nitriding furnace Nitriding is a heat treating process that diffuses nitrogen into the surface of a metal to create a case-hardened surface. for carbonitriding. Unlike other options, ArmorTi changes the metallurgy of the outer layer of the titanium by diffusing interstitial hardening elements into the surface instead of applying a new material to the outer surface of the titanium. The combination of a hard surface and a soft interior is greatly valued in modern engineering because it can withstand very high stress and fatigue, a property that is required in such items as gears and anti-friction bearings. Color case hardening (sometimes referred to as case-hardening, case color hardening, or surface hardening) is a heat treating process and one of the earliest ways of hardening lower-grade steel. Depth of the hardness zone may be controlled by an adjustment of the flame intensity, heating time, or speed of travel. The process dates back to experiments in the 1950s. $47.52. Flame or induction hardening are processes in which the surface of the steel is heated very rapidly to high temperatures (by direct application of an oxy-gas flame, or by induction heating) then cooled rapidly, generally using water; this creates a "case" of martensite on the surface. With a 50,000 square foot facility staffed with 50 employees in Akron, Ohio and an additional 20,000 square foot Glendale, Arizona facility staffed with five employees, H&M maintains its own in-house metallurgical research and development testing laboratory and FFL license. 1. The other advantage of this method is freedom from oxidation and sooting. Diffusion methods modify the chemical composition of the surface with hard-ening species such as carbon, nitrogen, or boron. The resulting nitride case is harder than carburized steels. Hayward A. Harvey, (born Jan. 17, 1824, Jamestown, N.Y., U.S.—died Aug. 28, 1893, Orange, N.J.), versatile American inventor who discovered the modern method of strengthening armour plating.. Harvey began his career as a draftsman in the New York Screw Company, of which his father was president. By varying the power of the laser, the depth of heat absorption can be controlled. It involves diffusive infiltration of carbon from the surface inwards and subsequent quenching of the layer thus formed. The process entails diffusion of boron atoms into the lattice of the parent metal and a hard interstitial boron compound is formed at the surface. Once the arrangements are made through the custom shop and the guns shipped to H&M, the company has a two to three business day turn around for custom work. Actually carbonitriding is a modification of carburizing process. There is no technical limit to the depth of hardening with carburizing techniques, but it is not common to carburize to depths in excess of 0.050 in. The usual carburizing temperature is 1700°F. Aluminium, chromium and molybdenum are the major nitride-forming alloying elements. Shade McMillen explaining the Blacknitride process from their Glendale, AZ facility. In general, the method is suitable for small and medium size parts as it is difficult to process large parts in a salt bath. Work coil of different designs are used to suit different types of heating requirements like external heating, internal heating, etc. A brief introduction addresses the progressive failure modes, focusing mainly on creep and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in special steel structural members. This region, which varies in thickness up to a maximum of about 0.002 inch, is commonly known as the “white layerâ€. The carburizing compound is in the form of coarse particles or lumps so that when the cover of the container is sealed, sufficient air is trapped inside to form carbon monoxide. Oven drying works well if you can set your oven to a temperature of 140 to 150°F. The method includes the steps of carburizing the article in a carburizing atmosphere at atmospheric pressure, heating the article in a vacuum for a predetermined period of time, and hardening the article. Early attempts were difficult to clean and not very environmentally friendly. This produces a very hard and surface abrasion-resistant element, while at the same time Single action revolvers, and shot guns are very popular to color case harden. ( Log Out / Depending on the frequency and amperage, the rate of heating as well as the depth of heating can be controlled. The extra carbon is added to the surface of the part only, thereby making the surface of the part harder, but leaving the center of the part tough and malleable. Many old guns have faded color case hardening. Because of inherent variation in case depth, the method is not used on work requiring a case depth of less than 0.030 in. Afterwards, the parts were removed from the furnace and quenched. Blacknitride+ is a QPQ steel hardening process tested for superior corrosion resistance, lower co-efficient of friction, and increase lubricity. The parts are then quenched and tempered. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. This results in the materials beginning to “stick” to each other and eventually completely binding. The combination of metals produces a product that is much harder. Galling is a form of wear caused by welding between two surfaces due to friction. A nitrided case consists of two distinct zones. For these reasons, titanium hasn’t been used as extensively in firearms as its benefits would suggest. Finishes have advanced greatly since basic bluing. In addition to the hardening, increased slickening, durability, and other performance gains, Blacknitride+ is known for being an attractive finish. “Success for this process takes real effort to obtain our internal high standards,” McMillen explains. A 4-step heat treatment for hardening case-carburized steels has been developed and is here described and compared with conventional hardening. Testing has demonstrated slides continue to hold up after tens of thousands of rounds fired. In pack carburizing, the work is surrounded by a carburizing compound in a closed container. The main disadvantages are the possibility of overheating and thus damaging the part and difficulty in producing hardened zones less than 1/16 inch in depth. This method allows the surface carbon to be reduced to any desired value by using a diffusion period, during which the gas is turned off but temperature maintained. A STEM-focused institution, it focuses on polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. This procedure is used with relatively low temperature carbonitriding for the production of shallow case-depths in the range of 0.1–0.4 mm. However, heat applied to the surface tends to flow towards the center by conduction, and so time of heating is an important factor in controlling the depth of the hardened zone. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. H&M’s metal surface treatment attracts many recognizable and familiar OEM’s in the firearms industry in addition to providing services to consumers with requests to customize their firearms. When this shell is at a low moisture content it will 'set' and resist shrinkage. In addition to the custom work, ArmorTi is featured on pre-made titanium parts from Krytos Industries (KrytosIndustries.com, 234/303-2727). If the layer is thick, it is removed by lapping after nitriding. The reverse is true in the case of carburizing. The steel is usually hardened and tampered between 1100 and 1300°F to produce a sorbitic structure of maximum core toughness and then nitrided. The slide takes a lot of impact from rails and barrel but this treatment eliminates titanium’s galling issues and protects the core. Protective coatings designed for steel can’t accommodate titanium’s lower stiffness. Therefore, it is necessary that the steel is capable of being hardened. Cyaniding and carbonitriding4. Case hardening is a simple method of hardening steel involving the use of metal that has low carbon content, and combining it with a metal that has a higher carbon content. Commercial carburizing may be carried out by means of pack carburizing, gas carburizing and liquid carburizing. Color Case hardening is getting very popular. Krytos began by offering titanium AR-15 bolt carriers. Originally, this process used bone charcoal heated to an exact temperature. The equipment can be taken to the job and adjusted to treat only the area which requires hardening. Just to send the point home, Blacknitride+ will degrade and eat aluminum. The article also discusses various case depth measurement methods, including chemical, mechanical, visual, and nondestructive methods. This process is also known as dry cyaniding, gas cyaniding and nicarbing. The temperatures used are generally lower than those used in carburizing, between 1400 and 1600°F. With their focus on titanium, ArmorTi creates a finish that overcomes the material’s weaknesses. In 1948, the family grandfather bought an interest in the company and in the late 1980s, the factory expanded its capabilities to provide salt bath nitriding. However, corrosion resistance of stainless steel is reduced considerably by nitriding. of modern knowledge about ancient case hardening methods of Indian blacksmiths. Nitriding time for some steels is shown in the figure given above. ArmorTi uses forced diffusion to harden titanium’s surface that results in a slick, durable, black finish with a Rockwell hardness of over 70 HRC. Blacknitride+ is for steel parts, however, this type of surface-hardening treatment and finish is also available for titanium. Single-quench hardening. At the nitriding temperature the ammonia dissociates into nitrogen and hydrogen. FNC is known by a number of proprietary names, such as Tufftride, Tenifer, Melonite, Nu-Tride, and QPQ (Quench Polish Quench). The molten salt bath deposits nitrogen and carbon that actually penetrates into the surface of the steel and is not just a coating. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The last two methods do not change the chemical composition of the steel and are essentially shallow-hardening methods. Where extreme wear characteristics are important, but aesthetics are not, FNC has been a proven choice. The container is heated to the proper temperature for the required amount of time and then cooled slowly. It only increases the carbon content to some predetermined depth below the surface to a sufficient level to allow subsequent quench hardening. Under known and standard operating conditions, with the surface at fixed carbon concentration, the form of carbon gradient may be predicted, with reasonable accuracy, as a function of elapsed time. It consists of heating Steel components to the temperature within or above its critical range. With case hardening, low-carbon steels are first enriched with carbon in the surface layer (carburisation) and then quenched! Of interest to gunsmiths, ART’s research led to creating their ArmorTi process. Usage of solvent‐based cleaners is declining. Blacknitride+ for steel and ArmorTi for titanium are great options to consider for your firearm projects. Heating results from the resistance of the metal to passage of these currents. This covers all internal areas, even inside screw holes and the like. Usually ships within 3 to 5 weeks. Since the core is of low carbon content, the carbon atoms trying to reach equilibrium will begin to diffuse inward. Ferritic nitrocarburizing is incredibly durable but was never aesthetically pleasing. bill aug 11, 2019 color case hardening, color case-hardening, faq's, latest news!, questions & answers, specialty finishes, tips & tricks, unique finishes 0 comment STEEL F/X® Patinas Specially Developed for Creating a Color Case-Hardened Finish. In cyaniding, the case is higher in nitrogen and lower in carbon. The steel is usually hardened and tampered between 1100 and 1300°F to produce a sorbitic structure of... Cyaniding and carbonitriding. These processes are commonly used on low-carbon, low-alloy steels, however they can also be used on medium and high-carbon steels. Titanium is a great material for gun building as it is light and strong but the friction is bad, galling is a big problem, and there are issues with impact damage. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Parts too large to be placed in a furnace can be handled easily and quickly with the torch. In this method,... Nitriding. Nitriding temperature is below the lower critical temperature of the steel and it is set between 925°F and 1050°F. Depending on the physicochemical state of the medium that contains the diffusing element, chemical case hardening can be carried out from the gas, liquid, solid, or vapor phase (the first two are carried out the most frequently) in gas, vacuum, or tank furnaces on objects made of steel, cast iron, pure metals, and alloys based on nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt, niobium, copper, aluminium, and other … The exception to this has been in suppressors as they don’t have to deal with friction. 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