Conventional Heat TreatmentsConventional Carburizing
Carburizing is a process of controlled diffusion of carbon into the surface of a component, followed by quenching and tempering, with the objective of increasing the component’s surface hardness. The process is generally applicable to low carbon steels. When conducted in a “conventional”, rather than in a vacuum furnace, we can refer to the process as conventional carburizing. In this thermal process ferrous alloys are heated to above their transformation temperature and exposed to carbon rich medium. Processing temperatures fall in the 1450°F – 1900°F (790°C – 1040°C) range. The diffusion of carbon into the part and the subsequent quench leads to a part with a hard, wear resistant surface and a tough shock resistant core. Solid, liquid and gaseous carbon-carrying medium may be employed, however, the first two are rarely used. Nitrex-offered carburizing is conducted in computer controlled integral quench and pit gas carburizing furnaces. A full range of case depths if feasible with an economically derived limit of approximately 0.250″ (6.4 mm). In addition, Nitrex is capable of selective carburizing where only specific areas of the part are to be treated. Carburizing benefits include:- case depths up to 0.250″ (6.4 mm) are achievable,
- ability to use inexpensive steels and still produce components with hard surface properties,
- generally used for parts subjected to cyclical loading
- cost effective for parts where some distortion is acceptable
Conventional Heat TreatmentsConventional Carbonitriding
Carbonitriding is a process similar to carburizing whereby ammonia is added to the carburizing atmosphere, which results in supplementary nitrogen diffusion into the surface of a treated component.Note: carbonitriding is sometimes confused with nitrocarburizing. Please read the descriptions of both processes to avoid misunderstandings.Not sure which process or service is right for you? Contact our global team of heat treat experts and let them guide you or fill out the contact form to put you in touch with one of our experts!
Conventional Heat TreatmentsConventional Hardening/Quenching
Hardening is one of the oldest metallurgical processes known to man, originally in the form of heating a sword in the fire and then throwing it into the lake to make it harder. The more modern approach is to heat components in an atmosphere furnace followed by quenching, generally in heated oil. The expression “conventional hardening” is used here to differentiate the process from vacuum hardening. It should also be noted that “hardening” is usually referred to as “quenching”. A more refined version of this process is Vacuum Hardening. BENEFITS- Increased strength
- Increased hardness
- Improved fatigue life
- Increased wear resistance
Conventional Heat TreatmentsConventional Tempering
Tempering is almost always required after hardening (both in an atmosphere furnace as well as in vacuum, as described further), to reduce the hardness (and brittleness) to a desirable level. The expression “conventional tempering” is used here to differentiate the process from “vacuum tempering”. BENEFITS- Reduces the stress after quenching
- Reduces the brittleness generated by only hardening/quenching
- Increases material toughness
- Precise control of the hardness level
Conventional Heat TreatmentsConventional Quench & Temper
The words “quench and temper” are not a technology but just an expression. We have included this paragraph for the sake of completeness and to help those unfamiliar with these processes in absorbing these concepts more easily.Quenching and tempering are the most fundamental heat treatments available in that most ferrous alloys must first be hardened (quenched) and then tempered to the appropriate hardness. The expression “quench and temper” (or “harden and temper”, which is the same thing) is so entrenched that some of us forget that in a sequence of conventional processes the two are done in different furnaces, with parts transferred, as quickly as possible, from one to the other.Quenching and tempering are described separately in this section.Not sure which process or service is right for you? Contact our global team of heat treat experts and let them guide you or fill out the contact form to put you in touch with one of our experts!
Conventional Heat TreatmentsNormalizing
Normalizing is a relatively simple process whose parameters, however, depend greatly on the type of steel and the desired result. The main purpose will usually be an improvement and homogenization of the grain structure. Not sure which process or service is right for you? Contact our global team of heat treat experts and let them guide you or fill out the contact form to put you in touch with one of our experts!
