Effect of solid carburization on surface microstructure and hardness of Ti-6Al-4V alloy and(TiB+La_2O_3)/Ti-6Al-4V composite

Solid carburization was employed to improve the hardness of Ti-6Al-4V alloy and （TiB＋La2O3）/Ti composite. The samples wrapped in graphite powder were placed in sealed quartz tubes, followed by solid carburization at 1227 K for 24 h. Microstructure and phase analysis indicated that TiC reinforcements and Ti-C solid solutions were introduced after solid carburization. Moreover, the volume fraction of equiaxedα-Ti phase in diffusion layer decreased obviously with increasing sample depth. Hardness testing results indicated that both the carburized surfaces performed significant improvement of about 100% in micro-hardness compared with untreated materials. The variation of carbon contents with increasing sample depth resulted in a hardened layer of 300 μm in the carburized samples. Meanwhile, slight influence on the internal microstructure and hardness indicated that solid carburization was an effective method in strengthening the surface of titanium alloy and titanium matrix composite.

Effect of Carburization on the Mechanical Properties of Biomedical Grade Titanium Alloys

Titanium cermets were successfully synthesized on the surface of biomedical grade titanium alloys by using sequential carburization method. The mechanical properties such as hardness, fracture toughness and plasticity were measured to estimate the potential application of titanium cermets. The results show that after carburization the surface hardness of titanium cermets was 778 HV, with a significant improvement of 128% compared with that of titanium alloys. In addition, the fracture toughness of titanium cermets was 21.5 × 10^6 Pa.m^1/2, much higher than that of other ceramics. Furthermore, the analysis of the loading-unloading curve in the nanoindentation test also indicates that the plasticity of titanium cermet reached 32.1%, a relatively high value which illustrates the combination of the metal and ceramics properties. The results suggest that sequential carburization should be an efficient way to produce titanium cermets with hard surface, high toughness and plasticity.

Wettability Modification for Biosurface of Titanium Alloy by Means of Sequential Carburization

Microporous titanium carbide coating was successfully synthesized on medical grade titanium alloy by using sequential carburization.Changes in the surface morphology of titanium alloy occasioned by sequential carburization were characterized and the wettability characteristics were quantified.Furthermore,the dispersion forces were calculated and discussed.The results indicate that sequential carburization is an effective way to modify the wettability of titanium alloy.After the carburization the surface dispersion force of titanium alloy increased from 76.5×10^(-3)J·m^(-2) to 105.5×10^(-3) J·m^(-2),with an enhancement of 37.9 %.Meanwhile the contact angle of titanium alloy decreased from 83° to 71.5°,indicating a significant improvement of wettability,which is much closer to the optimal water contact angle for cell adhesion of 70°.

Carburization of ferrochromium metals in chromium ore fines containing coal during voluminal reduction by microwave heating

Chromium ore fines containing coal (COFCC) can be rapidly heated by microwave to conduct the voluminal reduction, which lays a foundation of getting sponge ferrochromium powders with a lower content of C. Under the conditions of COFCC with n(O)-n(C) (molar ratio) as 1.00-0.84 and n(SiO2)-n(CaO) as 1.00-0.39, the samples were heated by 10 kW microwave power to reach the given temperatures and held for different times respectively. The results show that the low-C-Cr ferrochromium metal phase in the reduced materials forms before the high-C-Cr ferrochromium metal phase does. With increasing temperature the C content of ferrochromium metals is in a positive correlation with the content of Cr. The C content of ferrochromium metal in reduced materials is 0-10.07% with an average value of 4.68%. With the increase of holding time the Cr content in ferrochromium metals is in a negative correlation with the content of C, while the content of Fe changes in the contrary way. In the microwave field the kinetic conditions of carburization are closely related with the temperature of microwave heating, holding time and carbon fitting ratio.

Effect of carburization on microstructure and rolling contact fatigue property of 95W-3.4Ni-1.6Fe heavy alloy

95W?3.4Ni?1.6Fe heavy alloy was carburized by pack carburization. Microstructure and hardness of the carburized alloywere investigated by SEM, EDS XRD. Effect of carburization on the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) property of the alloy was studied.The results showed that the carburized layer was composed of the outer, porous WC layer and the modified subsurface layer witheach W grain surrounded by a WC shell. Carburization not only decreased the RCF performance of the alloy but also aggravated thewear of the counter balls. The untreated alloy was damaged by two modes of spalling and delamination under RCF condition. Thesubsurface main crack of the untreated alloy initiated where the maximum shear stress existed and preferentially propagated alongthe W?W interfaces. Spalling was the main failure mode of the carburized alloys, and the crumbling WC particles intensified theabrasion of the carburized surface.

Numerical Simulation of Reaction-Diffusion during Carburization of HK40 Steel

Two types of carbides M23C6 and M7C3 precipitate orderly as carbon concentration in a high Cr-Ni austenitic steel increases during carburization process. The mathematical model that describes diffusion of carbon and the precipitation of M23C6 and M7C3 has been studied. A criterion to judge when the transformation of M23C6 to M7C3 is over and M7C3 precipitates directly has been given in simulated calculation. By applying the model, the carburization of HK40 steel has been calculated by means of finite difference computation techniques. The pack carburization tests for the HK40 steel have been carried out at 1273 K. The comparison between the experimental and the calculated results show acceptable agreement.

Reduction and subsequent carburization of pre-oxidation magnetite pellets

Magnetite is a kind of iron ore that is difficult to carburize.In order to improve the carburizing performance of magnetite pellet,pre-oxidation treatment was carried out,and the oxidation,reduction and carburization behaviors of magnetite pellet were investigated in this study.The magnetite pellet was oxidized in the air and carburized in CO-CO_(2)-H_(2) gas mixtures,the oxidation,reduction and carburization behaviors were demonstrated by detecting phase change,microstructure,carburizing index via thermogravimetry,X-ray diffraction(XRD),infrared carbon-sulfur analyzer,and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The results show that the dense magnetite particles inside pellet are oxidized to porous hematite particles,and the Fe_(3)O_(4) transforms to Fe_(2)O_(3) with high lattice defect concentration during the pre-oxidation process.Then the porous hematite particles and newly formed Fe_(2)O_(3) significantly promote the reduction efficiency.Porous metallic iron particles are produced in the reduction process.Finally,both high reduction efficiency and the porous structure of metallic iron particles dramatically enhance the carburization efficiency of pellet.High preoxidation temperature favors to the carburization of magnetite pellet.However,the carburized index decreases due to the recrystallization of iron oxide when the temperature extends to 1000℃.The optimum pre-oxidation temperature for magnetite pellet carburization is 900℃.

Reduction and carburization of iron oxides for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

The activation of iron oxide Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis(FTS) catalysts was investigated during pretreatment: reduction in hydrogen followed by carburization in either CO or syngas mixture, or simultaneously reduction and carburization in syngas. A combination of different complementary in situ techniques was used to gain insight into the behavior of Fe-based FTS catalysts during activation. In situ XRD was used to identify the crystalline structures present during both reduction in hydrogen and carburization. An increase in reduction rate was established when increasing the temperature. A complete reduction was demonstrated in the ETEM and a grain size dependency was proven, i.e. bigger grains need higher temperature in order to reduce. XPS and XAS both indicate the formation of a small amount of carbonaceous species at the surface of the bulk metallic iron during carburization.

Influence of Surface Carburization of Machinable Ceramics on Its Pulsed Flashover Characteristics in Vacuum

For pulsed power devices, surface flashover phenomena across solid insulators greatly restrict their overall performance. In recent decades, much attention has been paid on enhancing the surface electric withstanding strength of insulators, and it is found that surface treatment of material is useful to improve the surface flashover voltage. The carburization treatment is employed to modify the surface components of newly-developed machinable ceramics （MC） materials. A series of MC samples with different glucose solution concentration （0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%） are prepared by chemical reactions for surface carburization modification, and their surface fiashover characteristics are investigated under pulsed voltage in vacuum. It is found that the surface carburization treatment greatly modifies the surface resistivity of MCs and hence the flashover behaviors. Based on the reduction of surface resistivity and the secondary electron emission avalanche （SEEA） theory, the adjustment of flashover withstanding ability can be reasonably explained.

Single-step thermal carburization synthesis of supported molybdenum carbides from molybdenum-containing methyl-silica

A novel synthesis route to obtain highly dispersed molybdenum carbides in porous silica is described. The synthesis was carried out by a single-step heat treatment of molybdenum-containing and methyl-modified silica （Mo-M-SiO2） in argon atmosphere at 973 K. Mo-M-SiO2 precursor was facilely obtained via a one-pot synthesis route, using （NH4）6Mo7O24 4H2O （AHM） as molybdenum sources and polymethylhydrosiloxane （PMHS） as silica sources at the initial synthetic step. The optimal C/Mo molar ratio in reaction system for complete carburization of molybdenum species was 7. The carburization process of molybdenum species followed a nontopotactic route involving a MoO2 intermediate phase, which was evidenced by XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption and in situ XPS. Formation mechanism of Mo-M-SiO2 precursor was also proposed by observation of the reaction between AHM and PMHS with TEM. Furthermore, by adding TEOS into silica sources and adjusting TEOS/PMHS mass ratio, crystal phase of molybdenum carbides transferred from β-Mo2C to α-MoC1-x, and SiO2 structure changed from microporous to micro/mesoporous. Catalytic performances of samples were tested using CO hydrogenation as a probe reaction. The supported molybdenum carbides exhibited high selectivity for higher alcohol synthesis compared with bulk β-Mo2C and α-MoC1-x.

Plasma surface alloying with molybdenum and carburization of TiAl based alloys

A hard layer which is rich in Mo and carbon on the surface of TiAl based alloy was formed after plasma Mo alloying followed by plasma carburization. The process parameters of plasma Mo alloying and plasma carburization were modified. The chemical composition and the thickness of the formed layer are obviously affected by the temperature used during alloying and carburization. The surface layer of TiAl treated by carburization at 1000℃ following Mo alloying at 1125℃ consists of a hard layer with thickness of 20μm and has a graded distribution in chemical composition. The pin-on-disk wear test shows that the frictional properties of TiAl disk treated only by carburization are improved. The TiAl surface treated by both Mo alloying and carburization possesses lower friction coefficient than that of carburized TiAl.

PHASE TRANSITION OF W－Co OXIDE MIXTURE DURING DIRECT REDUCTION／CARBURIZATION BY H_2／CH_4

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SURFACE CARBURIZATION OF TiAl BASED ALLOY

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Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Gear Steels After High Temperature Carburization

High temperature carburization is becoming more and more attractive because it can remarkably reduce processing time and increase productivity. However, the commonly used gear steels which are microalloyed by Al are not suitable for high temperature carburization due to abnormal grain coarsening. The gear steel 20CrMnTiNb, which is microalloyed with 0. 048% Nb and 0. 038% Ti, has been compared with the gear steel 20CrMn in terms of microstructure in the case of hardened layer and in the core after carburizing at 1000 ℃ for 4 h and mechanical prop- erties after carburizing and pseudo-carburizing. The results indicate that the fine austenite grains exist in the carbu- rized case of 20CrMnTiNb steel, while there is abnormal coarsening and duplex grain structure in the case and core of steel 20CrMn. The average prior austenite grain sizes are 19.5 and 34.2 μm for the steels 20CrMnTiNb and 20CrMn, respectively. In addition, the mechanical properties of 20CrMnTiNb steel are superior to those of 20CrMn steel. In particular, the HV hardness of the former is higher than that of the latter by about 40--70 in the range of less than 0. 7 mm in depth. Therefore, the steel 20CrMnTiNb is suitable for high temperature carburization.

Multi-length scale modeling of carburization,martensitic microstructure evolution and fatigue properties of steel gears

Multi-length scale modeling is performed to(i)predict the carburized case depth of SAE8620 steel gears by solving the Fick’s second law of diffusion,(ii)model the martensitic microstructure evolution in a grain inside the carburized case as well as to study the effect of stress cycling on retained austenite(RA)and martensite using a 3D phase-field model,(iii)simulate the effect of carburization and different RA contents on macroscale fatigue behavior of SAE8620 steel spur gear using the finite element method.The diffusion model predicts that the case depth increases with increasing heat treatment time and temperature.The phase-field simulations show that RA can transform to martensite during fatigue loading,where the extent of the transformation will depend on the type of stresses applied,i.e.stresses in a high stress regime or low stress regime of fatigue loading.Reverse transformation of martensite to austenite is also observed in low RA sample under high stress regime.The macroscale simulations show that the carburized case with high RA gives rise to better fatigue life compared to that with low RA.

Vacuum carburization of 12Cr2Ni4A low carbon alloy steel with lanthanum and cerium ion implantation

As bearing parts, 12 Cr2 Ni4 A is expected to have high hardness and excellent fatigue strength, so carburizing is employed to improve the inherit properties of 12 Cr2 Ni4 A. However, the traditional carburizing is limited by poor microstructure distribution and low rate of carburizing. The rare earth ion implantation is known to help improving the properties of tribology, corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance of metal. In this article, the RE implantation is employed to assist the carburizing. Lanthanum and cerium ion implantations are initially used to assist 12 Cr2 Ni4 A low pressure vacuum carburization.The microstructure, content of retained austenite, hardness, thickness of layer and carbon diffusion were analyzed by optical microscopy(OM), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD) and Rockwell/Vickers hardness tester, respectively. It was shown that lanthanum and cerium implantations can improve structure of the vacuum carburizing layer, and enhance the uniformity of carbon element distribution on the carburized surface. Meanwhile the RE implantation plays a positive role in promoting the surface hardness and carburized rate. The lanthanum element has more significant effect on surface hardness and content of retained austenite than cerium element. The surface hardness of lanthanum element implanted layer was 62.9 HRC with 9.6% content of retained austenite, while the carburizing rate of cerium implanted layer increased by 12.4%.

Kinetic triplet from low-temperature carburization and carbon deposition reactions

Carbon deposition reaction is unfavorable for smooth operation of blast furnace,while the product of carburization reaction is a superior iron-bearing raw material in non-blast furnace routes.The kinetic triplet of these two reactions was obtained based on non-isothermal kinetic analysis.According to the Sharp–Wentworth method,the activation energy of the carburization reaction is 397.77 kJ/mol,and the activation energies of the carbon depositions on hematite and magnetite are 188.92 and 100.89 kJ/mol,respectively.The carburization reaction is controlled by the Jander mechanism,and the carbon depositions on hematite and magnetite are both controlled by the mechanism of Zhuravlev–Lesokhin–Tempelman.Based on Coats–Redfern method,the activation energies of the above three reactions are 360.65,149.29,and 102.36 kJ/mol,respectively.The carburization reaction is a first-order reaction,while the carbon depositions on hematite and magnetite are both third-order reaction.In particular,the negative activation energy is obtained if considering the anti-Arrhenius circumstance in the Sharp-Wentworth method.Based on above results,it is feasible to adopt non-isothermal kinetic method to study the kinetic triplet of a reaction.According to the obtained activation energies and reaction mechanism functions,the simulated kinetic data are in good agreement with the experimental values even using the negative activation energy.

Double glow plasma carburization on zirconium to improve surface hardness and wear resistance

Though some important progress in the excel- lent mechanical properties of zirconium alloys have been reported, their high surface hardness and good wear prop- erties need to be explored further. In this work, a carbur- ized layer was formed on the surface of commercially pure zirconium by a double glow plasma hydrogen-free car- burizing technique. Commercial high-purity graphite was used as the carbon source material. X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy dis- persive spectroscopy （EDS）, Vickers hardness test, friction and wear test were used to characterize the samples car- burized. The carburized layer could be clearly observed under a microscope. XRD patterns indicate that the zirco- nium carbide phase is formed in the carburized layer. The surface hardness of the sample increases significantly after carburization. Friction and wear tests results show that wear resistance and friction coefficient of zirconium are improved considerably after carburization. Surface plastic deformation is arrested to a low extent in contrast with pure zirconium because of the presence of ZrC phases during the wear test. The results may provide new insight into methods for surface strengthening of zirconium alloys.

Research on Heredity of Coarse Ferrite Grains

The changes in austenite grain size of the specimens with coarse ferrite grains under different heat treatment process were investigated.The focus was on studying the effect of annealing on refining coarse ferrite grains,as well as the influence of the ferrite grain size on the main technical indicators of gas carburizing.The results show that coarse ferrite grains may not necessarily cause the coarse austenite grains,but may result in mixed austenite grains.After annealing treatment,the coarse ferrite grains can be significantly refined and homogenized.Moreover,the coarse ferrite grains have no significant effects on hardnessand intergranular oxidationof gas carburizing.

Effect of manganese on the catalytic performance of an iron-manganese bimetallic catalyst for light olefin synthesis

A systematic study was carried out to investigate the promotion effect of manganese on the performance of a coprecipitated iron-manganese bimetallic catalyst for the light olefins synthesis from syngas. The catalyst samples were characterized by N2 physisorption, transmis- sion electron microscopy （TEM）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, powder X-ray diffraction （XRD）, Mossbauer spectroscopy, H2- differential thermogravimetric analysis （H2-DTG）, CO temperature-programmed reduction （CO-TPR） and CO2 temperature-programmed des- orption （CO2-TPD）. The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis （FTS） performance of the catalyst was measured at 1.5 MPa, 250 ℃ and syngas with H2/CO ratio of 2.0. The characterization results indicated that the addition of manganese decreases the catalyst crystallite size, and improves the catalyst BET surface area and pore volume. The presence of manganese suppresses the catalyst reduction and carburization in H2, CO and syngas, respectively. The addition of manganese improves the catalytic activity of water-gas shift reaction and suppresses the oxidation of iron carbides in the FTS reaction. The incorporation of manganese improves the catalyst surface basicity and results in a significant improvement in the selectivities to light olefins and heavy hydrocarbons （C5＋）, and furthermore an inhibition of methane formation in FTS. The pure iron catalyst （Mn-00） has the highest initial FTS catalytic activity （65%） and the lowest selectivity （17.35 wt%） to light olefins （C2=-C4=）. The addition of an appropriate amount of manganese can improve the catalyst FTS activity.