Abstract: The present invention comprises a process for nitriding martensitic stainless steel and the alloy produced thereby comprising heating a stainless steel alloy to a temperature of from about 900° F. (480° C.) to about 2500° F. (1370° C.) in a vacuum furnace in the presence of hydrogen or argon gas in order to clean the surface. After the hydrogen or argon gas is removed from the chamber, nitrogen gas, or a different nitrogen gas derivative is injected into said furnace as a pulsed injection at a partial pressure of from about 500 torr to about 1000 torr. The steel is nitrogen alloyed at a temperature of from about 1400° F. (760° C.) to about 2200° F. (1205° C.) and then quickly quenched at ambient temperature. Preferably, after a sufficient period of time, the temperature is raised a second time from about 900° F. (480° C.) to about 2500° F. (1370° C.) prior to cooling the final product.

Abstract: The present invention comprises the nitrogen alloying of stainless steel with a gaseous nitrogen compound such as nitrogen gas (N2), or ammonia (NH3) at high temperature wherein the reaction pressure is lowered. A base powder with properties similar to those of a martensitic stainless steel is prepared from a molten metal with the subsequent incorporation of selective additives such as cobalt, chromium, boron, copper, vanadium, niobium and mixtures thereof to improve high temperature resistance to scuffing and adhesive wear. The molten mixture is then atomized by water- or air-atomization to yield a base powder which is mixed with nitrogen or ammonia gas at various pressures in a static or fluidized bed to provide a nitrogen alloyed particulate, i.e., a nitrided particulate alloy. The powder is heated in a hot isostatic press under vacuum with argon gas at reduced pressure and later cooled to ambient temperature.