Carburizing

From GAWDAwiki

Carburizing is a form of case hardening that produces a carbon gradient extending inward from the surface, enabling the surface layer to be hardened either by quenching directly from the carburizing temperature or by cooling to room temperature then reaustenitizing and quenching.^[1]

Carburizing steels for case hardening usually have base-carbon contents of about 0.2%, with the carbon content of the carburized layer generally being controlled at between 0.8 and 1% carbon. However, surface carbon is often limited to 0.9% because too high a carbon content can result in retained austenite and brittle martensite.

Most steels that are carburized are killed steels (deoxidized by the addition of aluminum).^[2]

Methods of Carburizing

There are several types of carburizing, including:

• Gas carburizing
• Liquid carburizing
• Pack carburizing
• Vacuum carburizing^[3]

References

1. http://www.corrosionsource.com/handbook/glossary/c_glos.htm
2. http://www.keytometals.com/Articles/Art114.htm
3. http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/mechanical/articles/65175.aspx