Plasma Nitride Surface Hardening of Titanium for Aerospace T components used in aerospace and chemical industries are typically made of titanium alloyed with aluminum and vanadium and a two-phase structure. Those alloys have very high strength-toweight ratios and have been preferred as the materials for special applications at very low temperatures from -196° to -269°C (-320° to -452°F)[2]. Also, the high-temperature properties of titanium alloys are unique and further enhance application of this metal. However, in many situations, surface properties of components made of titanium alloys have to be improved to provide the tribological properties needed for reducing friction between various rotating parts, reducing wear or for further enhancement of anti-corrosion properties. Those properties can be increased by thermochemical treatment such as nitriding[4]. Figure 1 shows the wear resistance of nitrided titanium alloy compared to the wear resistance of nitrided stainless steel [4, 5]. The general idea behind forming thermochemical layers is to fortify the surface of titanium, imparting performance qualities such as hardness, dry-lubrication and corrosion resistance or cleanliness of the surface. The treatment can greatly extend equipment lifetimes. www.aerodefensetech.com Aerospace & Defense Technology, April 2021 Lead Art (Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech) itanium is irreplaceable in many industrial applications including high strength-efficient and corrosion resistant structures [1-3]. It is a nonmagnetic and a low-density element (approximately 60% density of steel) that can be easily strengthened by proper alloying, heat treatment and deformation processing [1]. Mechanical 10 Cov ToChttp://www.aerodefensetech.com http://www.abpi.net/ntbpdfclicks/l.php?202104ADTNAV