Optimized Nitriding of Aerospace Components Through Controlled White-Layer Formation and Reduced Ammonia Consumption Using an Advanced Ammonia Dissociation Technology

The nitriding of aerospace components demands tightly controlled surface properties, including case depth uniformity, compound-layer morphology, fatigue performance, and dimensional stability. A primary challenge is managing the white layer (ε/γ′ compound zone), which can adversely affect adhesion, spalling resistance, and downstream grinding or coating operations when excessive. When employing the nitriding process that integrates a specialized ammonia dissociator process, it provides a controlled mixture of atomic nitrogen, hydrogen, and partially dissociated ammonia, without the need for an external ammonia dissociator while still adhering to AMS 2759/6 specifications. The elimination of the external ammonia dissociator reduces utility consumption and lowers operation costs. The results show that utilizing advanced ammonia-dissociator technology, nitriding provides a robust method for white-layer suppression, improved process repeatability while meeting aerospace nitriding requirements.