A chemical process where a material becomes nitrided (infused with nitrogen) through its own chemical reactions, without external nitrogen sources.
From Greek autos (self) + Latin nitrum (soda/saltpeter) + -idation (chemical process). A technical metallurgy term from 20th-century materials science describing self-initiated nitrogen incorporation.
Steel workers discovered that under certain extreme conditions, metal can harden itself by absorbing nitrogen from the air around it—no special equipment needed. It's nature finding the shortcut that engineers were trying to force.
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