Making the Case for Vacuum Heat Treating in a Low Carbon World

As the heat-treating world understands its impact on the climate, the search for reduced carbon emission and utilities consumption has intensified. Consequently, there is a renewed interest in technology and process development that often looks to the boundaries of technology for answers. As it turns out, though, proven green heat-treating technology that can deliver the required properties already exists. Vacuum heat-treating technology is established in both process and equipment, while producing the same or better results with higher efficiency and without the carbon rich byproducts of atmosphere heat treating. High pressure gas quenching technology with low pressure carburizing provides an improved, green alternative to atmosphere gas carburizing. A variety of furnace types that range from traditional single chamber furnaces to multi-chamber furnaces and single piece flow technology support these processes. Additionally, atmosphere processes like ferritic nitrocarburizing offer more climate friendly alternatives to traditional case hardening processes thanks to the fact that carbon can be introduced in a way that prevents gaseous carbon emissions while achieving the desired properties. To illustrate the potential of vacuum heat treating and gas nitriding, two case studies will be presented where the desired results are reached while following the global sustainability trends.