Black nitride is a relatively recent alternative to the hard chrome plated cylinder rod. With
reports of achieved service life three times that of conventional chrome, longer seal life and
comparable cost, black nitride cylinder rods are an option that all hydraulic equipment users should
be aware of.
Black nitriding is an atmospheric furnace treatment developed and patented in the early 1980's.
It combines the high surface hardness and corrosion resistance of nitriding with additional
corrosion resistance gained by oxidation. The process begins with the cleaning and
super-polishing of the material to a surface roughness of 6 to 10 Ra. The steel bars or tubes
are then fixed vertically, and lowered into an electrically heated pit furnace.
The furnace sequence involves nitrocarburizing the steel at temperatures up to 1150ºF in an
ammonia atmosphere. The steel's surface is converted to iron nitride to a depth of typically
0.001". Atmospheric oxidizing is employed to produce a black, corrosion resistant surface film.
The process generates a thin (0.001") uniform and extremely hard (64 to 71 Rc) iron nitride
layer infused with a film of iron oxide. Beneath the iron nitride layer is a nitrogen-enriched,
hardened diffusion zone. The diffusion zone functions as a lightly hardened case with a hardness
gradient ranging from around 55 Rc just below the iron nitride layer to approximately 40 Rc at
a depth of 0.015". Testing has verified that black nitride bar machines and welds as well as
hard chrome plated stock.
Available in standard diameters up to 5" (127 mm), black nitride cylinder rods offer the
following benefits over conventional hard chrome:
- Superior corrosion and wear resistance,
- Better oil retention (longer seal life)
- Dimensional uniformity
- Dent resistant - without the need for induction hardening
- No pitting, flaking or micro-cracking
- Environmentally friendly process