▪ I. nitride, n. Chem.
(ˈnaɪtraɪd)
[f. nitre n. + -ide.]
A compound of nitrogen with another element or radical.
| 1850 T. Graham Chem. (ed. 2) 114 Thus, with the other elementary bodies,..Nitrogen forms nitrides. 1858 Thudichum Urine 46 A solution in nitric acid of the nitride of the sub-oxyde of mercury. 1881 Nature 6 Oct. 542/1 The nitride of silicon..is obtained by the direct union of nitrogen and silicon. |
▪ II. nitride, v.
(ˈnaɪtraɪd)
[f. the n.]
trans. To convert into a nitride or nitrides; spec. to heat in the presence of ammonia or other nitrogen-containing gas so as to form nitrides near the surface and improve the hardness and corrosion resistance.
| 1928 Machinery XXXI. 479/1 The parts to be nitrided are placed in a gas-tight box. 1958 Aitchison & Pumphrey Using Steel Wisely i. ix. 155 A number of high-alloy steels—such as those employed for aero-engine exhaust valves—are nitrided with very beneficial results. 1966 McGraw-Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. XIII. 314/1 It is possible to nitride some of the common alloy steels which do not contain appreciable amounts of aluminium, although the hardness in this case is much lower than with nitralloy. 1972 Nature 28 Jan. 219/2 The alloys were nitrided in pure, dry nitrogen at 7 atmosphere pressure at 1,050°C. |
Hence ˈnitrided ppl. a., ˈnitriding vbl. n.; nitriding steel, steel made with a composition to fit it for nitriding.
| 1928 Machinery XXXI. 478/2 Standard electric furnaces can easily be adapted to the nitriding process. 1928 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. CXVII. 855 Photo-micrographs show the nitrided case after nitriding for 90 hrs. at 900°F. 1931 Ibid. CXXIV. 615 With the exception of aluminium, all metals present in nitriding steels are transition elements, the nitrides of which have a metallic character. 1952 Kirk & Othmer Encycl. Chem. Technol. IX. 26 Nitriding improves the fatigue endurance limit of the heat-treated nitriding steels. 1967 Trans. Inst. Engin. & Shipbuilders Scotl. CX. 32 A photograph of a frigate's fine-tooth coupling with barrelled, crowned and nitrided teeth. 1967 M. Chandler Ceramics in Mod. World vi. 171 Silicon nitride..is formed in the nitriding process, which consists of taking the element silicon, pressing it into the required form, and then heating to a temperature of about 1400°c in an atmosphere of nitrogen. |