The compound layer consists ofcompounds of iron, nitrogen, car-bon and oxygen. Due to itsmicrostructure, the compoundlayer does not possess metallicproperties. It is particularly resis-tant to wear, seizure and corro-sion, as well as being stablealmost to the temperature atwhich it was formed. Comparedwith plasma or gas nitrocarburiz-ing, compound layers with thehighest nitrogen content can beobtained by the TUFFTRIDE®process. Layers with a high nitro-gen content give better protectionagainst wear, and in particularcorrosion, than those with a lowcontent.