Z. Li, L. Ferguson, A. Freborg, Deformation Control Technology, Inc., Cleveland, OH; T. Jones, Solar Atmospheres Inc., Souderton, PA
Vacuum carburization process was applied to fatigue rotating beam samples machined from AISI 9310 steel bars. An acetylene/hydrogen mixture was used for the vacuum carburization. Carburization schedules were designed to through carburize the thin wall section of the fatigue sample. The samples were then high pressure gas quenched at 10 bar with nitrogen, and the microstructure and hardness were checked to evaluate uniformity of the carbon distribution across the wall. Some samples showed significant bow distortion after heat treatment. Further investigations on the sample shape response during quenching indicated that the unbalanced wall thickness is the main cause of the bow distortion.
Summary: Vacuum carburization process was applied to fatigue rotating beam samples machined from AISI 9310 steel bars. An acetylene/hydrogen mixture was used for the vacuum carburization. Carburization schedules were designed to through carburize the thin wall section of the fatigue sample. The samples were then high pressure gas quenched at 10 bar with nitrogen, and the microstructure and hardness were checked to evaluate uniformity of the carbon distribution across the wall. Some samples showed significant bow distortion after heat treatment. Further investigations on the sample shape response during quenching indicated that the unbalanced wall thickness is the main cause of the bow distortion.
