Comparative Study of Various Nitrided Tool Steels and Comparison of the Productivities of Forging Dies Made of Hot Working Steels.

A survey is made of the most common nitriding methods, their advantages and disadvantages, and their suitability for the nitriding of tool steels. A study was made of five steels which were nitrided by five different methods. The surface hardness, roughness, microstructure and hardness behavior of the nitrided layers were determined. The results of operational tests with two forging die inserts nitrided by different methods for two forging presses are presented. Differences in the productivity of the two inserts depending on the nitriding treatment are noted. In spite of different working conditions, the productivity of both forging die inserts increases approximately in proportion to the nitriding depth.