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Carburizing
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Not to be confused with carbonization, carburation, or carbonation.

Carburising,[1] carburizing (chiefly American English), or carburisation is a heat

treatment process in which iron or steel absorbs carbon while the metal is heated in
the presence of a carbon-bearing material, such as charcoal or carbon monoxide. The
intent is to make the metal harder. Depending on the amount of time and temperature,
the affected area can vary in carbon content. Longer carburizing times and higher
temperatures typically increase the depth of carbon diffusion. When the iron or steel is
cooled rapidly by quenching, the higher carbon content on the outer surface becomes
hard due to the transformation from austenite to martensite, while the core remains
soft and tough as a ferritic and/or pearlite microstructure.[2]

A modern computerised gas carburising furnace

This manufacturing process can be characterized by the following key points: It is

applied to low-carbon workpieces; workpieces are in contact with a high-carbon gas,
liquid or solid; it produces a hard workpiece surface; workpiece cores largely retain
their toughness and ductility; and it produces case hardness depths of up to 0.25
inches (6.4 mm). In some cases it serves as a remedy for
undesired decarburization that happened earlier in a manufacturing process.
Method
Hardening agents
Geometrical possibilities
Dimensional changes
Workpiece material
Comparing different methods
Choice of equipment
See also
References
Further reading
External links
Last edited 3 months ago by OlliverWithDoubleL

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