bath is used which contains activated electrolyzed metallic titanium sodium dioxide and a salt selected from the group consisting of sodium cyanate and potassium cyanate in amounts of from about 80 to about 85 w w is present in the salt bath with from about 15 to about 20 w w of naco 2 or sodium chloride to the bath is added from about 2 to about 20 micrograms of electrolyzed metallic titanium a base metal material is soaked in the bath for from about 2 to about 10 hours at from about 430 to about 670 u00b0 c the titanium catalyzes the formation of a thick hard nitride layer of from about 20 to about 100 microns on the base material the present invention includes a method for nitriding a base metal material comprising providing a base metal material providing a salt bath which includes sodium dioxide and a salt selected from the group consisting of sodium cyanate and potassium cyanate dispersing electrolyzed metallic titanium in said bath heating the salt bath to a temperature ranging from about 430 u00b0 to about 670 u00b0 c and soaking the material in the salt bath for a time of from about 2 to about 10 hours advantageously the soaking time ranges from about 2 to about 6 hours the metal base material is preferably selected from the group consisting of steel carbon steel steel alloys titanium titanium alloys aluminum aluminum alloys and the salt bath is a non electrolyzed salt bath advantageously the salt bath includes from about 15 to about 20 w w of an added salt selected from the group.