How carburizing, carbonitriding and vacuum heat treatment will increase product life and tooling productivity

Vacuum heat treatment is an industrial thermal process used by specialists to change metal or steel properties in order to boost its anti-corrosion or material features.

Various time cycles at prescribed temperature settings, which generally start from 800°C or above, then cooled, allow the metal or steel materials to increase its overall resistance and tensile strength.

The core advantage to vacuum heat treating systems is its protective enclosure void of oxygen that prevents corrosion, distortion and staining of the metal or steel, which normally occurs due to the chemical reaction from the high temperatures.

Vacuum heat treatment specialists like us at A & M Heat Treating provide a wide range of onsite vacuum heat, hardening and tempering services using industry standard techniques that exceeds those found in the surface engineering market.

Two main case hardening processes that benefit most of our industrial health and safety, oil and gas and metallurgical clients are carburizing and carbonitriding.

Carburizing is an innovative chemical, thermal process that treats metal or steel components with carbon to increase its durability and anti-oxidative properties.

Metal or steel properties are transformed inside the vacuum furnace at elevated service temperatures that can range from 700°C to 1,000°C, which are diffused with carbon-based or gas solutions using little vacuum pressure. The result is a highly resistant, rock-hard surface layer with little to no variability in size or distortion.

Carbonitriding is the other side of the carburizing coin. While its fundamental thermal principles are similar, the major difference lies in the added benefit of additional controls set in place during the carbonitriding process.

Carbonitriding is advantageous over carburizing because of the capability to gauge the amount of ammonia used in the treated surface area.

Ammonia is the key ingredient added to the mix (as an aid to nitrogen) that is dispersed onto the surface, providing an extra layer of added strength while the heat treatment process takes place. Carbon and nitrogen are still distributed to the surface metal or steel using little slight pressures, which leads to an exceptionally durable exterior surface.

Visit the A & M Heat Treating carburizing and carbonitriding gallery, which includes links to our vacuum heat treatment products and services. 

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