atmospheric carburizing
what is carburizing?
Carburizing is a thermochemical process used to harden tools and components made of steel with a low carbon content. The surface area of a component is deliberately and specifically enriched with carbon. However, the remaining area remains untreated and therefore soft or tough after the quenching process, depending on the material used. The carburized surface layer can then be hardened by a quenching process.
carburizing process
A distinction is made between the following case hardening processes:
- Direct hardening
- Single hardening
- Double hardening
- Hardening after isothermal transformation
- Carbonitriding
carburizing agents
The following media are used for the atmospheric carburizing of ferrous materials:
- endogas
- propane
- methanol
- ethanol
- acetylene
benefits of carburization
Case hardening (carburizing) is an important process within the different heat treatment processes that offers a variety of advantages to improve the mechanical properties of workpieces.
Some of these benefits are as follows:
- Extending the service life of parts: Case-hardened (carburized) parts have a longer service life compared to untreated components, which can reduce maintenance and replacement costs.
- Cost efficiency: Case hardening (carburizing) can be more cost-effective than producing parts from high-alloy steel or other expensive materials to achieve the required hardness and wear resistance properties.
- Improved wear resistance: Case hardened (carburized) parts are more resistant to wear and abrasion, making them ideal for applications where friction and abrasion occur.
- Increased flexural strength: Case hardening (carburizing) results in increased flexural strength of the material, making it more resistant to bending stresses.
suitable metals for carburization
The materials that are most frequently used for case hardening (carburizing/carbonitriding) include
- Unalloyed carbon steels
- Alloyed steels
application of carburization in various industries
Case hardening is not dependent on a specific industry, but on the selection of the material used and the mechanical properties to be set. The process is very frequently used in the industries listed below:
- Automotive industry
- Mechanical engineering
- Toolmaking
- Electrical engineering
- Agricultural engineering
benefits from our services, from the idea to series production
- Developing individual innovations
- Clarify detailed questions
- Support from the idea to series production
- First-class support
- Highest quality – whether small or large series
- Certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, VDA 6.1:2016 and ISO 13485:2016
frequently asked questions – carburization
Tempering is a process for the targeted heat treatment of materials, through which the properties of the component can be specifically and deliberately influenced. The process is particularly suitable for reducing stresses in the material. Hardened steel becomes softer the higher it is tempered. At the same time, the loss of hardness is offset by the increased toughness of the material.
All unalloyed and low-alloy steels are suitable for atmospheric case hardening. The carbon content of the material should not exceed 0.25 % in order to achieve a sufficient hardening gradient between the surface and core areas.
As an alternative to case hardening (carburizing), the nitriding and nitrocarburizing processes can also be used for suitable materials.
It is particularly important that the surface of components is cleaned of any contamination (oils, greases, emulsions, corrosion protection products) to ensure trouble-free diffusion of carbon atoms into the component surface. In addition, the furnace atmosphere must contain carbon-emitting media.
In case hardening (carburizing), the component surface is chemically modified by the diffusion of carbon compared to the classic hardening process. In addition, during case hardening, the surface area should have a higher hardness compared to the core area.
industries we serve
process locations
Any questions? Contact us directly or select a process location near you.
Amboise
France 47.41544421.0245775 info.amboise@aalberts-st.com +33 247 2374 74 show locationDunningen
Germany 48.2249668.5003521 info.dunningen@aalberts-st.com +49 7403 92907-0 show locationDzierżoniów
Poland 50.732931316.6280222 info.dzierzoniow-heat@aalberts-st.com +48 515 739 056 show locationGaildorf
Germany 49.01621959.7588191 info.gaildorf@aalberts-st.com +49 7971 96980 show locationKehl
Germany 48.500157.82006 info.kehl@aalberts-st.com +49 7854 96470 show locationLaupheim
Germany 48.229769.83458 info.laupheim@aalberts-st.com +49 7392 70960 show locationRemscheid
Germany 51.22193897.2353813 info.remscheid@aalberts-st.com +49 2191 56200 show locationSoudan
France 47.7059027-1.3208699 info.soudan@aalberts-st.com +33 228040600 show locationVärnamo
Sweden 57.176705814.0107878 info.nordic@aalberts-st.com +46 370 69 09 90 show locationVenlo (Lomm)
the Netherlands 51.44642316.1786697 info.venlo@aalberts-st.com +31 77 308 1333 show locationVermondans
France 47.38966236.7607384 info.vermondans@aalberts-st.com +33 381 9645 85 show locationWerther
Germany 52.085558.42509 info.werther@aalberts-st.com +49 5203 97405 show locationBlackburn
United Kingdom 53.7642256-2.4548116 info.blackburn@aalberts-st.com +44 1254 264901 show locationLetchworth
United Kingdom 51.9887569-0.2038797 info.letchworth@aalberts-st.com +44 1462 472100 show locationPinto
Spain 40.2523494-3.7105911 info.madrid@aalberts-st.com +34 916 923 330 show locationUnsere Verfahren
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