Carburizing vs. Nitriding

Carburizing

Carburising, carburizing (chiefly American English), or carburisation is a heat treatment process in which iron or steel absorbs carbon while the metal is heated in the presence of a carbon-bearing material, such as charcoal or carbon monoxide. The intent is to make the metal harder.

Nitridingnoun

A method of case hardening steel by the surface absorption of nitrogen by heating with ammonia.

Nitriding

Nitriding is a heat treating process that diffuses nitrogen into the surface of a metal to create a case-hardened surface. These processes are most commonly used on low-alloy steels.