NITROGEN IMPLANTATION OF TOOL STEELS.

In certain circumstances, ion implantation offers an alternative or an addition to traditional surface heat treatments and other processes aimed at improving properties such as resistance to wear, fatigue and corrosion, and surface hardness. In this article, the authors review the principle of the process, its advantages and limitations, some of the properties conferred, and the applications. The emphasis is on implantation with nitrogen, the element most commonly used in the treatment of plastic molding dies, cold-work tools and engineering components. The process is also applicable to plated coatings.