What is Carburizing?

Carburizing is a case hardening operation, it is a gaseous process carried out in pit or sealed quench furnaces. The diffusion of carbon produces a hard wear resistant case on quenching, with a softer tougher core.

Carburizing is carried out in the temperature range 800 - 960ºC, to achieve case depths from 0.1 to 5.0mm. Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and oxygen probes enable temperature and atmosphere cycle times to be controlled accurately.

Components up to 0.9M in diameter and 1.7M long can be treated vertically using special jigging to minimise distortion.

Components are generally quenched in oil, fast quenching oils are available for deeper hardening. Molten salt quenching is available to minimise distortion. Ovality and flatness can be controlled by Gleason press quenching. Statistical Process Control on press quenching is available.

What are the Typical Materials that can be treated?

Typically 080M15, 665M17, 832M13, AISI 1020, 8620, 17 NiCrMo6 "type" steels are treated, however many other steels can also be treated.