Reducing wear of piston rings using zero flow nitriding

This article presents new method of controlled gas nitriding called ZeroFlow, which is used for nitriding of internal combustion engine parts. Increasing efficiency of internal combustion engines means that engines are working under high thermal and mechanical loads, which is the unfavourable phenomenon – especially for elements of engine power train such as crankshaft or piston rings. Due to the high temperature and pressure in cylinder during combustion, piston rings are working under limit loads, which mean that lengthened fatigue life and wear resistant are of critical importance. Heat treatment is the most common way used for improving tribological properties of piston rings; one of the methods of heat treatment using in automotive industry, which meets with growing interest, is nitriding, especially controlled gas nitriding. The main aim of nitriding is to obtain layer with higher surface hardness, improved fatigue life and corrosion resistance, increased wear resistant and antigallic properties. According to that, this layer increase durability of nitrided parts, and as a result – durability of machines and vehicles. Steel nitriding using the ZeroFlow method allows precise forming of nitrided layers with respect to the phase structure, zone thicknesses and hardness distribution, which means that the ZeroFlow nitriding enable maintenance of full control over the kinetics of the nitrided layer growth. Kinetics of nitrided layer growth allows developing the especially dedicated process with specific parameters, which ensure obtaining on piston rings nitrided layer with strictly defined, required properties.