Boriding

nounStandard termHeat Treating

A thermochemical surface treatment that diffuses boron into a metal to create an extremely hard wear layer.

Boriding introduces boron atoms into the surface of a metal at high temperatures to form metal borides. This creates a distinct, tooth-like layer that bonds tightly to the base material. The resulting case is exceptionally hard and resists abrasive wear, galling, and certain corrosive environments better than conventional carburizing.

Heard on the job

The pump impellers keep wearing out in the slurry, so let's try boriding the next batch.

Insider tip

The boride layer is brittle, so the base metal must be strong enough to support it without yielding under impact.

Also heard as

  • Boronizing