Surface treating method and apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for forming a layer of a carbide or nitride of, for example, titanium or vanadium on the surface of material to be treated in a fluidized bed furnace. A refractory powder for forming a fluidized bed, a vessel or vessels filed with powder of a treating agent, and the material to be treated are placed in the furnace. The treating agent includes powder of at least one carbide or nitride forming metal or alloy and powder of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of chlorides, fluorides, bromides, iodides and boro-fluorides of alkali and alkaline earth metals and/or at least one of an ammonium halide and a metal halide. A fluidizing gas is introduced into the furnace under heat to form a fluidized bed in which the surface of the material to be treated is treated. The vessel or vessels are placed in the furnace in a spaced-apart relation from the material to be treated, so that no powder of the treating agent may adhere to the surface of the material to be treated.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.