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by
S. P. Shenoy M.Tech. (Met. Engg.), C.E.O., Steel Plant Specialities, India. www.steelplantspecialities.com
INTRODUCTION
Heat treatment is an important operation in the manufacturing process of engineering components, machine parts and tools. Oxidation and decarburization of steel take place when steel is heated in an electric furnace or oil fired furnace, in the presence of air or products of combustion. Oxidation leads to numerous problems like scale pit marks, loss of dimensions, bad quality surface finish of metal, rejections, quench cracking and increased expensive operations like shot blasting, machining and acid pickling. Protection against scaling and decarburization is achieved by heating in molten salts, fluidized bed furnaces, protective gaseous media or vacuum. These measures demand heavy capital investment, highly skilled personnel and special safety precautions. Many companies cannot afford them, and yet they are under mounting pressure to prevent oxidation and decarburization. This article introduces a practical technique pioneered by an experienced Metallurgist from the Indian Institute of Technology (I.I.T.). The technique enables any kind of steel to be heated without basic problems of oxidation and decarburization. Discussed technique, established in a number of hot forging units, heat treatment shops and hot rolling mills, can be adopted by both small and large scale units.
OXIDATION
Oxidation of steel is caused by oxygen, carbon dioxide and/or water-vapour. The general reactions are given below : O2 O2 CO2 CO2 + 2 Fe + 4 FeO + Fe
+ 3 FeO
Oxidation of steel may range from a tight, adherent straw-coloured film that forms at a temperature of about 180C to a loose, blue-black oxide scale that forms at temperature above about 450C with resultant loss of metal.
DECARBURIZATION
Decarburization or depletion of surface carbon content takes place when steel is heated to temperatures above 650C. It progresses as a function of time, temperature and furnace atmosphere. Typical reactions involved are : O2 O2 CO2 CO2 H2 O + + + + + C Fe3C C Fe3C Fe3C
CO2 3 Fe + CO2 2 CO 2 CO + 3 Fe CO + H2 + 3 Fe
The equilibrium relationship depends on the ratio of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. It is neutral to a given carbon content at a given temperature.
anti-scale coating has proven to be a logical solution to the problem of scaling and decarburization.
Use of protective coating has been found beneficial and cost-effective. An anti-scale coating is applied on components or billets to be heated before charging them into furnace. This anti-scale coating acts as a barrier between oxygen and metal. Care is taken to apply a uniform, impervious layer of coating on the component to be heated. Coating ensures prevention of scaling and decarburization. For exceptionally long heat treatment cycles of 10 to 15 hours, the extent of scaling and decarburization mechanism is substantially reduced. Anti-scale coating also reduces decarburization on billets and ingots during hot forging and hot rolling operations. Heat transfer from heating media to metal is not affected due to anti-scale coating.
No reaction with steel surface, no release of toxic fumes during use or heat treatment or storage, non-hazardous and economical implementation are other required characteristics of the coating. Coated tools and components must be able to be heat treated in air using a box type
or bogie hearth; electric, gas or oil fired furnace.
Fig. 2 explains the benefits of using coating during hot forming and solution annealing of stainless steel pipe fittings. Due to prevention of oxidation even in an ordinary oil fired furnace, pickling time could be reduced by 75%. Buffing can be eliminated or minimized in many cases. In manufacturing process of shearing blades of expensive high carbon, high chromium grade steel, grinding allowance is substantially reduced when protective coating is used during heat treatment. Some other distinct case studies are enlisted below.
2. REDUCTION IN SHOT BLASTING TIME AFTER HEAT TREATMENT: Operations like shot blasting, grinding, acid pickling, etc. do not add value, are expensive and time consuming procedures. These operations are necessary to remove adherent scaling from components and to enhance aesthetic appeal of forgings. Time required for these operations can be substantially reduced if a coating is applied on components before heat treatment (Endorsement 1). Aesthetic appeal of components is automatically enhanced without much effort as scaling is either prevented or reduced by using anti scale coating.
3. SALVAGING FULLY MACHINED COMPONENTS BY PROTECTING DURING RE-HEAT TREATMENT: Often, fully machined forgings need to be re-heat treated for metallurgical reasons. However, there is no material allowance left for further scaling to take place and for subsequent machining or shot blasting. In such cases, even small amount of scaling can render components to be scrapped. Use of anti-scale compound ensures prevention of scaling during re-heat treatment. Hence, huge losses can be prevented by salvaging fully machined components. Aesthetic appeal of components is retained (Image 2). Coating itself can be removed after heat treatment by cleaning the forging with diesel, amery paper brushing or light wire brushing (Endorsement 2).
4. HEAT TREATMENT OF PRESSURE VESSELS: Valve areas of pressure vessels are critical and need to be protected from scaling during thermal cleaning and heat treatment. This is achieved by use of anti-scale coating being applied only on areas where scaling needs to be prevented (Image 3).
5. SALVAGING OF FORGINGS DURING RE-HEATING FOR HOT FORGING: Re-heating or re-working of forgings is required due to underfill, improper metal formation and similar reasons. However, with stringent dimensional tolerances, there is a risk of components getting scrapped due to excessive scaling (Image 4). Anti-scale coating, when applied on forgings before re-heating for re-working, ensures minimal or no scaling, thereby eliminating risk of scrapping components during re-working (Image 5).
6. REDUCING DECARBURIZATION DURING HOT FORGING & HOT ROLLING: During hot rolling of special grades of steel where decarburization needs to be kept in check, unforeseen conditions like mill breakdown and unplanned downtime may arise. Even when the plant is closed for weekly holiday, furnace is shut off abruptly, leaving billets inside the furnace. In these cases, billets or ingots are left in furnace and are subjected to prolonged heating leading to decarburization. In both cases, applying an anti-scale coating ensures that billets are protected from decarburization. (Endorsements 3 & 4)
SUMMARY
1. Use of protective coating has established itself as an effective technique of preventing oxidation and decarburization during heat treatment, hot forging and hot rolling. 2. It has unleashed a number of additional benefits like ability to salvage by re-heat treatment, elimination of post-heat treatment operations like grinding, shot blasting, acid pickling, etc. 3. The coating process has simplified and accelerated many metallurgical heat treatment operations, saving a fortune in capital investment, reducing costs and improving quality.
Type of furnace used Test Coupon dimensions Grade of steel Heat treatment cycle % scale loss when not coated % scale loss when coated
: Box type, electric. : 300 mm X 100 mm X 10 mm : AISI 1010 : 1000C / 4 hrs / air cool : 5.52 : 0.70
REJECTED COMPONENTS
(HEAT TREATED)
(METALLURGICAL REASONS)
SCRAP
CONVENTIONAL METHOD
COATING PROCESS
HOT FORMING
ELBOW, TEE, REDUCER, CAP, STUB END, RETURN BEND
HOT FORMING
ELBOW, TEE, REDUCER,CAP, STUB END, RETURN BEND
SOLUTION ANNEALING
SOLUTION ANNEALING
PICKLING
PICKLING
BUFFING
INSPECTION
INSPECTION
SHIPPING
SHIPPING
Image 2: Fully machined spindle re-heat treated by applying anti-scale compound. Zero scaling observed. Aesthetic appeal is intact.
Image 3: Protection of critical valve areas during heat treatment of Pressure vessel. Coating was applied on White coloured areas.
Image 4: Pit marks formed due to scaling during re-heating for re-working.
Image 5: Coated with ESPON anti-scale compound before re-heating. No scale pit marks.
Endorsement 1: Affirming prevention of quench cracking and reduced shot blasting operation.
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