Two techniques for hardening a metal to the limits of its properties include nitrocarburizing and carbonitriding. When the usual methods of hardening steel can’t achieve high enough hardness for your application, nitrocarburizing or carbonitriding may be an option.

Before nitriding, steel is heat treated for through hardening (discussed below) and then machined if necessary. An advantage of nitriding is the ability to mask certain areas during the process, so they remain soft (to allow for additional machining, for example).

Parts that are suitable for carburizing include bearings, bearing races, gears, and pinion shafts, which require a hard outer surface and a tough, fatigue-resistant core.

During carburizing, a carbon atmosphere is introduced into a furnace where steel is heated. Afterward, the metal must be quenched and tempered to create the desired hardness properties. It’s possible to maintain a soft surface by masking certain areas of a part during carburizing.

We can work with your heat treater to provide advice and guidance for steel hardening and heat treatment, or even work to develop a heat treatment process. We’re familiar with heat treaters nationwide and can recommend a company experienced with your chosen steel grade.

Sara, I related to Brian so easily. It was as if I had known him all my life. He was truly a family man. It was so generous of him to share with all of us the soup he brought that summer evening. I’ll miss seeing him as time goes by. Love to you, Lisa, Katy and Francis. ‘Woody’

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The induction hardening method is ideal for stainless steels—with no introduction of carbon onto the metal’s surface, corrosion resistance is maintained and the metal stays completely stainless. 4340 steel is a good candidate for induction hardening.

Dear Sara and your Loving Family, You and Brian gave so many of us True Grace and helped so many to become kinder, more compassionate people. May you receive all the blessings of the Lord during this difficult time. All my love, Susanne Collins

I was given the opportunity work with Brian for 6 years. In those years I not only got to know him, I also had the honor of getting to know his family. He was one of the ‘brilliant’ minds that not everyone gets to meet in their lifetime. He always had wise words for me and treated my son with so much respect when he would visit. Brian, Lisa, Katy, I loved your dad, sometimes it felt like he was a dad to me. He was so proud of all of you and his grandchildren…Family was so very imprortant to him…Sara, my love and thoughts go out to you and the family. May wonderful memories and smiles of the good times help replace the saddness and grief you are feeling now. He surely will be missed.

At Sullivan Steel, we have a unique approach to customer support—if you have questions about hardening steel, call us. Our metallurgists and steel experts will walk you through your options and support you throughout production.

You can use both techniques on low alloy steels and mild steels to create a hard surface with a relatively soft core and high fatigue strength.

With heartfelt condolences to Sara and family. Brian brought so much wisdom and kindness to our unpredictable world. He’ll be missed.

We are both saddened to learn of Brian’s death and send our best wishes to Sara, his children and to his extended family. All of us would do well to emulate Brian’s life as a husband, a father, a community servant and a fine lawyer.

Through hardening is excellent for applications where a part is subject to heavy loading. However, since hardness is uniform throughout the metal, it increases a part’s brittleness—a through-hardened steel is not as fracture resistant as case-hardened steel.

This post discusses industry hardening methods and their advantages (for example, nitriding vs. carburizing) and includes examples of when and where to use them.

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Induction hardening is a clean, repeatable process that can be carried out on many pieces simultaneously. It is typically less expensive than either nitriding or carburizing while creating a hard, wear-resistance surface with a deeper case than other methods of hardening steel.

Nitriding involves adding nitrogen atoms to a steel part’s surface using ammonia gas or nitrogen ion plasma. This procedure creates a hardened case layer with very high strength and corrosion resistance, while the core of the metal stays relatively ductile. Nitriding requires a specialized furnace to nitride high-performance steel grades and (in general) takes longer (and is more costly) than other methods of hardening.

Carburizing is a case hardening method that adds carbon to the surface of a steel part. Carburizing improves wear resistance and can create a deeper case than nitriding. Unlike nitriding, steel is typically carburized before heat treatment.

Our family and the Lavelle family have been so close, even before they moved to Brookside Road, that it feels like we have lost a member of the family. For me, Mr. Lavelle was a wise friend, a kindly uncle, and a supportive advisor, especially on career matters, but on many other things as well. He always treated me like a grown-up, even when I was a little kid, and in every conversation with him there was humor. A lot of people who knew him socially might not know how highly he was thought of in the tax and estate planning world. (I learned about that when I was working in Raleigh in the Department of Revenue.) But I think what I admired most was his devotion to his family. My thoughts and prayers go out to them.

XD15NW and XD16N can be induction case hardened to 58+ HRC after a core through hardening process that brings the core to a medium hardness.

There are several methods of hardening steel, and your choice can determine whether the final component develops the strength, longevity, and corrosion resistance required. Ultimately, the technique you decide to go with (be it nitriding, carburizing, or some other process) should match the performance needs of your application.

Carbonitriding is like nitrocarburizing but uses less nitrogen. It is carried out in the austenitic temperature range, followed by quenching the steel. The case depth produced by carbonitriding is typically deeper than nitrocarburizing.

Induction hardening (or induction scanning) is an electrical case-hardening process that uses a specially designed copper coil. An alternating current passes through the coil, which heats the steel. Then, the steel is quenched to create the desired surface hardness.

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I’m very sad to hear of Brian’s passing. He was a gentleman who was always kind and friendly to me during my time at the Van Winkle Law Firm. To his wife and children, please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope that warm memories of Brian’s presence in your lives will soon replace the grief from his loss.

I am sorry to hear about Brian’s death and send my sympathy to all of you. I have so many fond memories of Brian and your whole family. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

There are two ways to make a steel part harder: case hardening (also called surface hardening) and through hardening; each method imparts different properties for different steels.

To the Lavelle family: Donna and I worked on several estate matters over several years, and know that we received the very best guidance from Brian. But more than that…we felt we were dealing with another member of the family at all times. We know from our dealings that Brian shared a belief that now puts him in a better place, with no more pain. He will be missed. Tommy & Donna Orr

Your friends and neighbors on Pawleys Island are deeply saddened at the loss of Brian Lavelle. From your Pawleys family, our thoughts and Prayers are with the Lavelle family during this time of loss.

Nitrocarburizing is similar to nitriding but with the addition of carbon onto a steel’s surface. There are two types of nitrocarburizing: austenitic and ferritic. Ferritic nitrocarburizing uses lower temperatures than austenitic, which limits the distortion of the steel.

Lisa, John, and Michael, My thoughts and prayers are with you during this sad time! I enjoyed knowing your father. I am sure that he is now sharing his keen wit with the angels; maybe he and BJ have already had a conversation! Much love to all of you. Allene

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When I opened my CPA practice on Church St my neighbor Brian came over a brought one client after another.At the time I did not know if I would have any clients but Brian instantly solved that matter.I remain in his debt all these years later. He was a friend and I,and many others,will miss him. My thoughts extend to the family.

I’m so sorry to hear Brian has passed. I was a joy to work with and will miss him. Keeping all of you in my prayers in this time of loss. God bless, T.

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As the name suggests, through hardening creates a uniform hardness throughout a steel, whereas nitriding, carburizing, and induction scanning form a hard surface case. The through hardening process includes heating, a rapid quench, and tempering or annealing. The hardness achieved depends on the treatment parameters. Typically, through hardening is an industrialized process carried out at volume.

To determine the right method of hardening steel, an engineer or metallurgist considers the performance characteristics they need for a final component. They will often look at the benefits of nitriding vs. carburizing vs. induction hardening, etc.

Dear Sara and your Loving Family, You and Brian taught True Grace and helped so many of us to become kinder, more compassionate people. May you receive all the blessings of the Lord during this difficult time. All my love, Susanne Collins

This hardening method is best for medium and high carbon steels; CX13VDW, XD15NW, XD16N, and 440C can all be through hardened.

I just heard the news about Brian’s passing. I am so sorry about your loss. He was always a kind and gentle man with a deep love of family. The times I was in your home for VanWinkle get togethers, you could feel the warmth and love that your family has for each other. His love of family and integrity always made an impression on me. I am so sorry for your loss.

Brian was a friend and respected colleague. I extend my sincerest condolences to Sara and the Lavelle children. Karl H. Straus

When comparing nitriding vs. carburizing, a nitrided steel’s surface (case) gets harder but not as deep as a carburized steel part. However, nitriding does offer superior corrosion resistance. Nitriding also provides better abrasion resistance, as it creates a compressive surface stress that counters forces that act upon the part.

Before induction hardening begins, steel is typically heat treated and through hardened. However, masking is impossible—induction scanning case hardens the entire surface of a part.

Examples of parts made using nitrocarburizing include automotive drive train components and heavy equipment, while wood screws and stamped automotive parts may be carbonitrided.

Sara, I want you to know that I have been thinking of you and your children & will certainly keep you all in my prayers. While I haven’t seen you and Brian in a long time ( bridge days),I know Brian was highly respected in his field & was known for his dry wit.

I GREW UP WITH THE LAVELLE FAMILY. MY HOUSE WAS BEHIND THE HOUSE WHERE DAVID, NEAL’S SON LIVES NOW. I AM SORRY TO HEAR OF HIS PASSING. CONDOLENCES TO ALL THE FAMILY.

Because carburizing introduces carbon, it makes a steel susceptible to corrosion—carburize stainless steel, and it will no longer be stainless. Also, as carburization takes place at a high temperature, it may lead to distortion of a part (which can create a challenge when working with tight tolerances).

Brian was one of mentors early in my legal career. He was a kind and generous man and great lawyer. He will be sorely missied. He carried himself with grace and dignity in all aspects of his personal and professional life. He has been an inspiriation to us all.