Effect of Processing Parameters on Surface of Commercial Pure Grade 1 Titanium during Urea-based Nitriding

Titanium is high specific strength material with excellent mechanical properties, but low hardness properties, which frequently results in initial failure of titanium components. Nitriding is one of the methods to improve the properties of titanium’s surface hardness. The aim of this study is to determine the method to enhance the hardness of Commercial Pure Grade 1 Titanium. This process engages the diffusion of nitrogen into Titanium's surface to create a hard, resilient layer of titanium nitride (TiN). Nitriding was conducted using urea fertilizer in granule form at varying temperatures. The hardness of the layer was measured by a hardness tester, and the surface was evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX). The outcomes demonstrated that raising the temperature greatly enhanced the hardness of the TiN layer on the titanium surface. The optimal parameters were found to be at a temperature of 575°C. This study demonstrates that the rise in temperature can increase the thickness of the TiN layer and improve surface hardness.