Carburizing and Quenching

Surface Hardening Treatments


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Carburizing is a thermochemical surface heat treatment that enables the enrichment of the outer layer of steel with carbon. The process is followed by quenching and tempering, allowing high surface hardness while maintaining a tough core.

The treatment improves wear resistance, abrasion resistance, and contact fatigue resistance, while the low-carbon core ensures high toughness and impact resistance.

The process is particularly suitable for carburizing steels with a carbon content between 0.1% and 0.25%.

CHARACTERISTICS

Type of treatment:

Thermochemical surface heat treatment

Case depth:

Effective case depth is defined according to hardness penetration classes (Cmt – UNI 5381:1999), typically ranging from 0.2 to 4 mm.

Process description:

the treatment involves heating in chamber furnaces at temperatures between 850 and 950°C. Carbon diffusion occurs in the surface layer through a carbon-rich atmosphere (methane or other hydrocarbons). The case depth is controlled by the holding time at temperature.

After the carburizing phase, the components are quenched in oil and subsequently tempered.

ADVANTAGES

  • Increased wear resistance
  • High fatigue and surface contact resistance
  • Optimized property distribution: hard surface and tough core

PROCESSABLE MATERIALS

  • carburizing steels (16MnCr5, 20MnCr5, C15, C20)
  • high-strength steels (18NiCrMo5, 16CrNi4, 20CrNiMo2-2)
  • microalloyed steels with Cr, Ni, Mo

EQUIPMENT

Total number of furnaces: 3

  • No. 2 furnaces 600 mm x 600 mm x 1000 mm
  • No. 1 furnace 700 mm x 900 mm x 1400 mm

Operating temperature range: from 200 to 1000°C

APPLICATION EXAMPLES

Industrial 

  • sprockets and gears in 18NiCrMo5

Automotive

  • cams, eccentrics, transmission and gearbox components in 16MnCr5

Earthmoving equipment

  • pins, bushings, sleeves, and dowel pins in 20MnCr5
Locations of the treatment
alfa

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