This paper deals with hardness and wear characteristics of ion-nitrided metal, and with ion-nitride processing which is concerned with the effects of added carbon content in gas atmosphere. A small optimal amount of carbon content in gas atmosphere increase compound layer thickness, as well as to increase diffusion layer thickness and hardness, and reduces wear rate when the applied wear load is small. It is found in the analysis that under small applied wear load, the critical depth where voids and cracks may be created and propagated is located at the compound layer, so that the abrasive wear where hardness is an important factor, is created and the existence of compound layer reduces the amount of wear. When the load becomes large, the critical depth is located below nucleation and propagation, is created and the existence of compound layer increase wear rate.