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The wear characteristics and related mechanisms of the Longwall Shearer Haulage System were investigated. Wear is one of the main reasons for failures and downtimes. This knowledge can help solve engineering problems. The research was carried out at a laboratory station and a test stand. The publication presents the results of tribological tests carried out in laboratory conditions. The aim research was to select the alloy intended for casting the toothed segments of the haulage system. The track wheel was made by the forging method using steel 20H2N4A. Haulage System was tested on the ground using a longwall shearer. Selected toothed segments were subjected to tests on this stand. The cooperation of the track wheel and toothed segments in the tootbar were analyzed by a 3D scanner. Debris chemical composition was also appointed, as well as mass loss of toothed segments. The developed solution toothed segment an increase in the service life of the track wheel in real conditions. The results of the research also contribute to reducing the operating costs of the mining process.

Low-temperature thermochemical treatments are particularly suitable for use in the surface hardening of austenitic stainless steels without impairing their corrosion resistance. In fact, when using treatment media rich in nitrogen and/or carbon at relatively low temperatures (

In this paper, a new low-carbon alloy gear steel is designed via Si/Al alloying. The carburizing and austempering, at a temperature slightly higher than the martensitic transformation point (Ms) of the surface and much lower than the Ms of the core, for different times, were carried out on the newly designed gear steel. After heat treatment, a series of different microstructures (superfine bainitic ferrite + retained austenite, superfine bainitic ferrite + martensite + retained austenite, and martensite + retained austenite) were obtained on the surface, whilst the low-carbon lath martensitic microstructure was obtained in the core. The microstructure of the surface was examined using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The phase composition was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The hardness and wear resistance of the surface as well as the hardness distribution of carburizing layer of the samples with different microstructures were studied. The results show that the Si/Al-rich gear steel, after carburizing and austempering at 200 °C for 8 h, not only has excellent mechanical properties but also has high wear resistance, which meets the technical requirements of heavy-duty gear steel. The research work in this paper can provide a data reference for the application of carburized steel with mixed microstructures of bainitic ferrite and martensite in the design of heavy-duty gear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typically, a cost-effective and versatile carburizing process is used to improve the surface integrity of high-value-added gear components. In this study, carburized treatment and wet shot peening (WSP) were applied to increase the corrosion resistance of 18CrNiMo7-6 gear steel. The surface integrity and corrosion resistance after carburizing and combined treatment (carburized treatment + WSP) were analyzed. The results indicated that the combined treatment converted the retained austenite surface layer within approximately 45 μm from the surface into the martensitic phase, with a 13.9 % reduction in equivalent grain size and a 23.6 % increase in dislocation density compared with carburizing. Furthermore, electrochemical experiments in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution indicated that the combined treatment process increased the corrosion resistance compared with carburizing (55.4 % lower corrosion current density and a higher Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio). Despite the high surface roughness obtained with combined treatment, the improved corrosion resistance is primarily ascribed to the high compressive residual stress and dislocation density. This study provides insights into the surface strengthening design of 18CrNiMo7-6 gear steel for corrosive environments—particularly the synergistic strengthening effect of carburizing and WSP. • WSP was introduced to improve corrosion resistance and surface integrity. • Corrosion resistance of 18CrNiMo7-6 steel cannot be enhanced by carburized treatment. • Competing effects of surface integrity on corrosion resistance were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews and analyses the current scientific research in the field of surface treatment of metal surfaces with concentrated energy fluxes (CEF) -- the electric-spark (in the literature, known also as electrospark) alloying (ESA), which makes it possible to obtain surface structures with unique physical, mechanical and tribological properties at the nanoscale. The ESA method with a graphite electrode (electrospark carburizing -- EC) is based on the process of diffusion (saturation of the surface layer of a part with carbon), and it is not accompanied by an increase in the size of the part. In this article, the influence of the EC parameters on the quality of the carburized layer is investigated. The microstructural analysis shows that the three characteristic zones could be distinguished in the structure: the carburized ("white") layer, the finely dispersed transition zone with fine grain, and the base metal zone. The analysis of the results of the durometric studies of the coatings is carried out. To achieve the required parameters of dimensional accuracy and roughness of the working surface of the part after the EC process, it is necessary to use the method of non-abrasive ultrasonic finishing (NAUF). In addition, because of applying the NAUF method, the surface roughness is decreased, the tensile stresses are changed to the compressive ones, and the fatigue strength is increased too. In addition, to reduce the roughness of the treated surface, it is proposed to apply the EC technology in stages, reducing the energy of the spark discharge at each subsequent stage. In order to increase the quality of the carburized layer obtained by the EC process, it is proposed to use a graphite powder, which is applied to the treated surface before alloying. The comparative analysis shows that, after the traditional EC process at Wp = 4.6 J, the surface roughness of steel 20 is Ra = 8.3-9.0 µm, and after the proposed technology, Ra = 3.2-4.8 µm. In this case, the continuity of the alloyed layer increases up to 100%; there increases the depth of the diffusion zone of carbon up to 80 µm as well as the microhardness of the "white" layer and its thickness, which increase up to 9932 MPa and up to 230 µm, respectively. The local micro-x-ray spectral analysis of the obtained coatings shows that, at the EC process carried out in a traditional way, the applying Wp = 0.9, 2.6, 4.6 J provides the formation of the surface layers with high-carbon content depths of 70, 100, 120 pm, respectively, and with the use of a graphite powder, they are of 80, 120, 170 pm. While deepening, the amount of carbon is decreasing from 0.72-0.86% to the carbon content in the base metal -- 0.17-0.24%. In the near-surface layer formed with the use of the new technology, the pores are filled with free graphite, which could be used as a solid lubricant to improve the operating characteristics of the friction-pairs parts processed thereby. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we fabricated tungsten carbide (WC) coatings on tungsten using a recently proposed two-step interstitial carburization method and systematically investigated their mechanical behavior, including their responses to indentation, scratch, and wear. The coatings comprised WC and a very small amount of W 2 C dispersed at the coating–substrate interface. The volume fraction of the carbide phases nearly reached 100 %, and the grain size of WC increased with increasing distance from the surface, thus exhibiting a distinct gradient microstructure with columnar WC grains. Indentation experiments on the coating surface showed that the coating attained a hardness of 25 GPa and cracks were generated when the indentation load exceeded 5 N. The fracture toughness of the coating was estimated to be 2.5 MPa m1/2. The response of the coating to scratching was not sensitive to the scratching speed, and an increase in the scratching speed did not alter the geometry of the grooves, but it resulted in an earlier occurrence and a higher density of cracks; further, it leads to increased acoustic emission. Delamination of the coating did not occur when the normal load was in the range of 0–100 N, indicating that the adhesion strength of the coating was greater than 100 N. We studied the wear behavior using a ball-on-disc tribometer and found that the WC coatings exhibited extraordinarily high wear resistance, and both abrasive wear and adhesive wear mechanisms acted concurrently during wear. Therefore, we verified that the WC coatings prepared by interstitial carburization have a high hardness and excellent scratch and wear resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the microstructure and damage of friction-fatigued carburized martensitic steels for the reliability of remanufacturing parts, the retained austenite (γ) phase and residual stress were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We evaluated their changes before and after roller pitching tests, and before and after the operation of the gear parts. In the roller pitching tests, the retained γ phase decreased with increasing load and number of cycles, presumably due to martensitic transformation caused by the cyclic load. The residual stress ratio (after/before the test) was significantly lower at high loads than that before testing, which was ascribed to the appearance of surface microcracks and the resultant release of internal stress. From SEM observations of the cross-section of the friction surface, we confirmed that the changes in the retained γ phase and residual stress ratio reflect the process of formation of multiple microcracks in the 10µm surface layer. The decreases in both the retained γ phase ratio and the residual stress ratio would therefore appear to rule out reuse. A decision on the potential for gear reuse can be made by means of non-destructive testing, i.e., investigating the relationship between the retained γ phase ratio and the residual stress ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study concerns the improvement of performance of resistance to wear phenomena of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy surface by means of Gaseous carburizing thermochemical treatment. Three-thermochemical treatment durations (2h, 4h, and 6h) were chosen for investigation of the effect of such treatment on this alloy. The hardness test under an indentation load of 0.05 kgf with a Vickers pyramidal indenter revealed that the surface hardness is 335 HV for the untreated samples. The hardness reaches approximately 1500 HV during gas cementation at 930 °C for variable times (2h, 4h, 6h) followed by quenching at 840 °C in an oil medium, which was accompanied by a significant improvement in wear resistance. The characterization of the modified surface layers was studied by means of a microscopic analysis and by X-ray diffraction. The case-hardening made it possible to obtain a wear resistance greater than that of the alloy not treated, minimal loss of mass by dry friction and an improvement in roughness as well as a good coefficient of friction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fin-pass rolls are the latest series of rolls in electric resistance welding (ERW) pipe production lines that form the sheets to tubular shape and adjust the edges of the sheet for welding. The rolls (made of AISI 8622 steel) lose their proper function after about 10 years of operation due to severe wear and change of their original surface profile. The worn portions were removed by grinding and replaced by an AISI D2 high carbon steel ring to repair these rolls. After a short time of service (about one year), the edge of the repair ring was exposed to severe spalling and fracture. The present study investigated the causes of the rapid failure of the AISI D2 repair ring and proposed a solution to the problem. The surface morphology, hardness, and wear resistance were studied. Moreover, the stress analysis of fin-pass rolls was studied using ABAQUS 6.14 finite element software for the closer investigation of the failure mechanism. The leading cause of spalling was the inherent brittleness of the AISI D2 steel and the presence of a high-stress concentration at the edges of the repair ring. To overcome this problem, carburized AISI P20 steel, case hardened AISI 4140 steel, and hard chromium electroplated AISI 4140 steel were replaced, and the resulting properties were studied. The highest resistance to spalling and wear occurred with carburized AISI P20 steel because of the high surface hardness and the gradual increase of toughness from the surface to the depth in the carburizing process, increasing the wear resistance and retarding the growth of fatigue cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work aims to study the influence of carburizing and nitriding on fatigue properties of 18Cr2Ni4WA high strength steel in very high cycle fatigue regime. Very high cycle fatigue tests were carried out on 18Cr2Ni4WA Steel after carburizing and nitriding respectively. The micro morphology of fatigue fracture was observed by scanning electron microscope, the failure mode and failure mechanism were discussed. The relationship between fatigue life and defect size, FGA size, fish eye size of fracture was analyzed. The characteristic size of defects is evaluated by Gumbel, Weibull and GEV distribution functions, and a modified Akiniwa fatigue life prediction model considering the relationship between FGA size and inclusion size was established. The results showed that, nitriding and carburizing treatment improve the surface fatigue limit of the steel. The fatigue life decreases with the increase of internal defect size and FGA size. After carburizing and nitriding treatment, the internal fatigue strength of the specimen decreases slightly. When the failure probability is 99%, the internal defect sizes of nitrided specimens calculated by Weibull, Gumbel and GEV distributions are 141.5 µm, 148.4 µm and 211.7 µm respectively. The calculated internal defect sizes of carburized specimens are 47 µm, 67.8 µm and 40 µm respectively. Compared with the experimental data, the fatigue strength predicted by GEV is the most appropriate. carburizing and nitriding treatment can improve the surface fatigue strength of 18Cr2Ni4WA steel, but slightly reduce the internal fatigue strength. The prediction result of the new model is conservative when the failure probability is 99%, which is suitable for engineering application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The boundary conditions for describing the mass transfer of carbon from a low-pressure oxygen-free atmosphere into steel under vacuum carburizing are analyzed. Experimental results and thermodynamic calculations are used to determine the numerical value of the activity of carbon in an environment of low-pressure acetylene. The calculated value of the carbon potential is used in the boundary condition of kind III in the form of a Langmuir expression applied to a mathematical model of vacuum carburizing based on numerical solution of the diffusion equation. The calculated concentration profiles are shown to describe adequately the experimental results. Different nonequilibrium processes of vacuum carburizing of steels are shown to have similarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the microstructure and damage of friction-fatigued carburized martensitic steels for the reliability of remanufacturing parts, the retained austenite (γ) phase and residual stress were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We evaluated their changes before and after roller pitching tests, and before and after the operation of the gear parts. In the roller pitching tests, the retained γ phase decreased with increasing load and number of cycles, presumably due to martensitic transformation caused by the cyclic load. The residual stress ratio (after/before the test) was significantly lower at high loads than that before testing, which was ascribed to the appearance of surface microcracks and the resultant release of internal stress. From SEM observations of the cross-section of the friction surface, we confirmed that the changes in the retained γ phase and residual stress ratio reflect the process of formation of multiple microcracks in the 10μm surface layer. The decreases in both the retained γ phase ratio and the residual stress ratio would therefore appear to rule out reuse. A decision on the potential for gear reuse can be made by means of non-destructive testing, i.e., investigating the relationship between the retained γ phase ratio and the residual stress ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new strategy for preparing TaC coatings on easily oxidized tantalum by non-vacuum carburizing is proposed, which is called Fe-coating-mediated carburization. Fe-coating-mediated carburization is the carburization of Ta substrate with a pre-electroplated Fe coating. During carburization, the electroplated Fe coating was transformed into a carbon steel coating, while a high concentration of interstitial carbon atoms in the carbon steel coating diffused into tantalum, forming a TaC coating. The Fe coating isolated the tantalum from oxygen and changed the state of active carbon atoms in contact with the tantalum surface. The TaC coatings are nonporous, have fine grains with grain size gradients, and combine high hardness (32 GPa) and excellent coating-substrate adhesion strength (>100 N). The Fe-coating-mediated carburization realizes the carburization of oxidizable carbide-forming metals under non-vacuum conditions, providing a new strategy to prepare protective coatings with both high hardness and high coating-substrate adhesion for carbide-forming metals. • A surface hardening method called Fe-coating-mediated carburization is proposed. • Non-vacuum carburization of easily oxidized tantalum is realized. • The coating is nonporous and has a gradient microstructure with fine TaC grains. • The hardness reaches 32 GPa and the adhesion strength exceeds 100 N. • The function of the Fe coating and the advantages of this method are elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new low-carbon alloy gear steel is designed via Si/Al alloying. The carburizing and austempering, at a temperature slightly higher than the martensitic transformation point (Ms) of the surface and much lower than the Ms of the core, for different times, were carried out on the newly designed gear steel. After heat treatment, a series of different microstructures (superfine bainitic ferrite + retained austenite, superfine bainitic ferrite + martensite + retained austenite, and martensite + retained austenite) were obtained on the surface, whilst the low-carbon lath martensitic microstructure was obtained in the core. The microstructure of the surface was examined using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The phase composition was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The hardness and wear resistance of the surface as well as the hardness distribution of carburizing layer of the samples with different microstructures were studied. The results show that the Si/Al-rich gear steel, after carburizing and austempering at 200 °C for 8 h, not only has excellent mechanical properties but also has high wear resistance, which meets the technical requirements of heavy-duty gear steel. The research work in this paper can provide a data reference for the application of carburized steel with mixed microstructures of bainitic ferrite and martensite in the design of heavy-duty gear.

Ametallographic study of advanced low-carbon martensitic steel with high resistance of the supercooled austenite to the transformations by pearlitic and bainitic mechanisms under continuous cooling is performed. The critical temperatures of the transformations occurring under heating and cooling are determined. The kinetics of the isothermal transformation of the austenite in the temperature range of 300 – 400°C is analyzed. The possibility of successful implementation of isothermal quenching of the steel after carburizing is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature treatments have become a valuable method for improving the surface hardness of stainless steels, and thus their tribological properties, without impairing their corrosion resistance. By using treatment temperatures lower than those usually employed for nitriding or carburizing of low alloy steels or tool steels, it is possible to obtain a fairly fast (interstitial) diffusion of nitrogen and/or carbon atoms; on the contrary, the diffusion of substitutional atoms, as chromium atoms, has significantly slowed down, therefore the formation of chromium compounds is hindered, and corrosion resistance can be maintained. As a consequence, nitrogen and carbon atoms can be retained in solid solutions in an iron lattice well beyond their maximum solubility, and supersaturated solid solutions are produced. Depending on the iron lattice structure present in the stainless steel, the so-called “expanded austenite” or “S-phase”, “expanded ferrite”, and “expanded martensite” have been reported to be formed. This review summarizes the main studies on the characteristics and properties of these “expanded” phases and of the modified surface layers in which these phases form by using low-temperature treatments. A particular focus is on expanded martensite and expanded ferrite. Expanded austenite–S-phase is also discussed, with particular reference to the most recent studies.

This work compares the tribological behavior of surface layers obtained by three different hardening processes. The layers were formed on the surface of AISI 4140 steel by applying three different thermochemical treatments. Wear resistance was evaluated using a standardized tribological machine for abrasive wear, according to the limits established by the ASTM G65 “Standard Test Method for Measuring Abrasion Using Dry Sand/Rubber Wheel Apparatus”. According to the results, the boride layers exhibited the highest wear resistance, as compared to nitrided and carburized layers. In contrast, the carburized layers presented the highest loss of volume. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the worn surfaces to examine the wear mechanisms. Abrasive wear was identified in all the samples, as the main abrasive wear mechanism. The mean values of the coefficient of friction (CoF) of the hardened surfaces were 0.39, 0.55, and 0.65 for carburizing, nitriding, and boriding samples, respectively, indicating that the wear process may not always be related to a low CoF. The results suggest that the highest hardness is normally associated with high wear resistance, but the coefficient of friction could be not directly related to the hardness of the materials. Finally, a statistical study demonstrates the random nature of the layers obtained by three different hardening processes.

The very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) properties of case hardening steel 18CrNiMo7-6 after carburizing and pseudo-carburizing have been investigated by means of ultrasonic fatigue tests. Results showed that the pseudo-carburized specimens with the hardness of 442 HV did not show VHCF fracture, and fatigue fracture did not occur even after 109 cycles when the applied stress amplitude was lower than the high cycle fatigue limit of 650 MPa obtained at 107 cycles. When carburized thoroughly with the hardness of 700 HV, the experimental steel showed VHCF phenomenon, and it might fracture even at nearly 109 cycles when the stress amplitude was about 600 MPa. Observations of the fracture surfaces of the fatigue specimens showed that after carburizing, the fatigue crack initiation sites changed from martensite matrix to nonmetallic inclusions, forming granular bright facet (GBF) and fish-eye before final abrupt fracture. The stress intensity factor at GBF area, which was calculated to be 3.5 MPa m1/2, could be used as a critical value for VHCF fracture for the carburized specimens of the experimental steel. The VHCF fracture of the carburized specimens of the experimental steel could be related to the high hardness and large amount of retained austenite as a result of carburizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to consider the possibility of using Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES) for determination of carburized layer thickness. Carburized layer increases the hardness of basic material (low carbon steels with carbon content of 0.2%), thereby it increases its wear and abrasion resistance and it decreases forming of oxidation layer too. The thickness of this layer is usually determined by hardness measuring according to the ČSN EN ISO 2639 standard. The results of this standardized method are compared with the results obtained by two methods of GDOES and with pictures of optical microscopy. It has been found that the method of “Bulk” GDOES analysis with gradual grinding is suitable for determining the thickness of carbon enriched layers, while carburized layers which would correspond to standardized hardness 550 HV 1 may be only guessed from the graph of dependence of carbon content on the depth, in which analysis was performed. The pictures from the optical microscope in cross section do not have sufficient predictive value.

The effects of cryogenic treatment and low temperature tempering on the microstructure, mechanical properties and distortion of the 20Cr2Ni4A and 17Cr2Ni2MoVNb carburized gear steels were investigated. The results showed that the case hardness of the experimental steels was increased after the cryogenic treatment, due to the decrease of the retained austenite content and the precipitation of the tiny carbides. The wear resistance of the two steels after cryogenic treatment was improved, although the wear mechanisms were different for 17Cr2Ni2MoVNb and 20Cr2Ni4A steels. The distortion of the Navy C-ring specimens underwent shrinkage before expansion during the cryogenic process, and the distortion of 17Cr2Ni2MoVNb steel was smaller than that of 20Cr2Ni4A steel.

Microstructure refinement strategies in simulated carburized microstructures were evaluated because of their potential for improving the fatigue performance of case-carburized components. Commercial 52100 steel was used to simulate the high-carbon content in the case. Specimens were subjected to various thermal treatments in a quenching dilatometer. Reheating cycles to austenitizing temperatures were evaluated with respect to both prior austenite grain size (PAGS) and associated martensite and retained austenite (RA) refinement. Quantitative stereological measurements were performed to evaluate the microgeometry of plate martensite and the size distribution of RA regions. Decreasing the reheating temperature resulted in finer PAGS, and multiple reheating cycles resulted in a narrower PAGS distribution. Refinement in PAGS led to a reduction in martensite plate size and finer distribution of RA. Additionally, interrupted quenching below martensite start (MS) temperature was evaluated. This processing route results in a refinement of martensite plates and more stable RA. The stabilization of austenite may be mechanical or chemical in nature, owing to the deformation of austenite during primary transformation, or due to partitioning of carbon into austenite similar to quenching and partitioning steels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a novel manufacturing technology, additive manufacturing (AM) has many advantages such as energy saving, reduced material waste, faster design-to-build time, design optimization, reduction in manufacturing steps, and product customization compared to conventional manufacturing processes. Heat treatment is widely used to improve the properties of conventional manufactured steel parts. The response of additively manufactured steel parts to heat treatment may be different from conventionally manufactured steel parts due to variations in the as-deposited alloy microstructure. An understanding of heat treatment processes for additively manufactured steel parts is necessary to develop their heat treatment process parameters. In the present work, 20MnCr5 steel was selected to investigate the carburizing heat treatment of additively manufactured parts. These parts were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) for the carburizing study. It was found that the AM parts fabricated by the SLM process show the microstructure of tempered martensite, while the microstructure of as-received wrought part is ferrite and pearlite. It was also experimentally found that the SLM process decarburizes the entire SLM part. Before carburizing, a normalization process was conducted on both SLM and wrought 20MnCr5 parts to reduce the effect of the pre-carburizing microstructure. The objective of this project is to determine the carburizing performance of additively manufactured steel parts. The results for the SLM parts in terms of carbon concentration and microhardness profiles are compared with the results for the wrought steel. It was found that the carburized SLM part in the present work has higher carbon concentration near the surface, deeper case depth, and higher total carbon flux than the carburized wrought part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carburizable martensitic stainless steels (MSSs) are attractive candidates for bearings due to their high corrosion resistance, high hardness, and high temperature performance. Wear performance in tribocorrosion applications is strongly influenced by the surrounding environment. Electrochemical testing was used to evaluate three different surface treatments on AMS 5930 steel developed for advanced gas turbine engine bearing applications: low temperature (LTT), high temperature (HTT), and carbonitrided (CN). HTT had a higher corrosion rate that increased with time, whereas LTT and CN had lower corrosion rates that were stable over time. Accelerated testing revealed that surface treatment significantly influenced how corrosion propagated: HTT was more uniform; conversely, LTT and CN showed localized attack. Degradation mechanisms developed from electrochemical methods provide rapid insight into long-term wear behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a polycrystalline fiber, continuous zirconia (ZrO 2) fiber used at high temperatures will cause grain coarsening and strength degradation due to grain growth. In order to suppress the grain coarsening, zirconium carbide (ZrC) and carbon were introduced into ZrO 2 continuous fibers by pack carburizing, and ZrC/ZrO 2 composite fibers with a radial gradient were subsequently prepared. Due to the pinning effect of ZrC or carbon on the grain boundary, the movement of the grain boundary is limited. The composite fibers obtained in an argon atmosphere at 1400 °C exhibited fine grain, compact micromorphology, and a tensile strength of 784 MPa. The formation process of the composite fiber was accomplished by the interaction of external graphite carbon and internal residual carbon with ZrO 2. This work provides a simple and economical method for preparing carbide composite fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functionally graded WC–Co cemented carbides (FG WC–Co) with plate-like WC grains were fabricated by carburizing of cemented carbides with no η phase. The phase composition and microstructure of FG WC–Co were investigated by XRD, SEM and EDX. The results showed that a cobalt-deficient layer was formed due to difference in affinity among carbon and other alloying elements. WC grain size increased while the ratio of side length to thickness decreased slightly in the surface zone due to difference of growth rate between different planes of WC grains. Moreover, FG WC–Co possessed an 80 μm deep cobalt-deficient layer, and showed excellent mechanical properties with a surface hardness of 1748 HV and fracture toughness of 9.6 MPa · m1/2 in the surface zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The variation of hydrogen content after carburizing and heat treatment is studied. • There is only one peak at around 415 ℃ after forging and tempering. • There is an additional peak at around 255 ℃ after gas carburizing and quenching. • There is no hydrogen absorption during the low-pressure carburizing. • The absorbed hydrogen have no evident effect on the fatigue properties of the steel. In this study, the variation of hydrogen contents in gear steel 17Cr2Ni2MoVNb after gas carburizing, low-pressure carburizing and heat treatment was investigated by means of thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS) analysis. The results showed that there was an additional peak at around 255 ℃ in the TDS curves for the specimens after gas carburizing and quenching in comparison with that for the specimen after low-pressure carburizing, which was absorbed presumably from the high temperature environmental gas. The results of fatigue tests showed that the fatigue limits for the specimens after gas carburizing with the additional hydrogen desorption peak and after low-pressure carburizing without the additional hydrogen desorption peak were both about 980 MPa. It could be attributed to the fact that the absorbed hydrogen content in the gas-carburized specimens was decreased from 0.084 mass ppm to 0.057 mass ppm after fatigue tests, which was too small to have evident effect on the fatigue properties of the steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal foam inserts are known for their high potential for weight and vibration reduction in composite gear wheels. However, most metal foams do not meet the strength requirements mandatory for the transfer of sufficiently high levels of torque by the gears. Syntactic iron and steel foams offer higher strength levels than conventional two-phase metal foams, thus making them optimum candidates for such inserts. The present study investigates to what extent surface hardening treatments commonly applied to gear wheels can improve the mechanical properties of iron-based syntactic foams. Experiments performed thus focus on case hardening treatments based on carburizing and carbonitriding, with subsequent quenching and tempering to achieve surface hardening effects. Production of samples relied on the powder metallurgical metal injection molding (MIM) process. Syntactic iron foams containing 10 wt.% of S60HS hollow glass microspheres were compared to reference materials without such filler. Following heat treatments, the samples’ microstructure was evaluated metallographically; mechanical properties were determined via hardness measurements on reference samples and 4-point bending tests, on both reference and syntactic foam materials. The data obtained show that case hardening can indeed improve the mechanical performance of syntactic iron foams by inducing the formation of a hardened surface layer. Moreover, the investigation indicates that the respective thermo-chemical treatments can be applied to composite gear wheels in exactly the same way as to monolithic ones. In the surface region modified by the treatment, martensitic microstructures were observed, and as consequence, the bending limits of syntactic foam samples were increased by a factor of three.

Hot rolling can improve the mechanical properties after heat treatment by improving the microstructure. The effect of hot rolling (HR) deformation on the microstructural transformation of G20CrNi2MoA bearing steel in the subsequent CQT (carburizing-quenching and tempering) and RQT (reheating-quenching and tempering) processes was studied. The results indicate that the austenite grain size decreased by 20% after 45% hot rolling reduction, and the number of large-angle grain boundaries increased due to the recovery and recrystallization induced by hot deformation. The refinement effect of hot deformation on austenite grains was retained after dual austenitizing, and the large-angle grain boundaries and massive dislocation in the grains caused by hot deformation promoted the diffusion of carbon atoms during carburization, resulting in a higher surface carbon concentration. The refined grains and higher carbon concentration affected the volume fraction and size of undissolved carbides in RQT specimens. When the initial hot rolling reduction reached 45%, the average particle size of carbides decreased by 40%, and the area volume fraction increased by 37%. The Vickers hardness increased, but the friction coefficient and wear rate were significantly reduced with the increase in the initial hot rolling reduction. The main reasons for the improved wear resistance were fine grains, superior carbide distribution and high hardness.

In this study, the effects of ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM) technology on the tribological properties and scratch-induced adhesion behavior of a heat-resistant KHR 45A steel cracking tube, which is used for the pyrolysis process, were investigated. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effects of pre- and post-carburizing UNSM treatment on the tribological and adhesion performances of carburized domestic KHR 45A (A) steel and to compare the results with the existing carburized Kubota-made KHR 45A steel (B). A carburizing process was carried out on the polished and UNSM-treated KHR 45A steel substrates, which were cut out from the cracking tube, at 300 °C heat exposure for 300 h. The thickness of the carburizing layer was about 10 μm. UNSM technology was applied as pre- and post-carburizing surface treatment; both reduced the friction coefficient and wear rate compared to that of the carburized KHR 45A steel substrate. It was also found that the application of UNSM technology increased the critical load, which implies the improvement of adhesion behavior between the carburizing layer and the KHR steel substrate. The application of UNSM technology as pre- and post-carburizing surface treatment could help replace carburized Kubota-made KHR 45A steel (B) thanks to the improved tribological performance, enhanced scratch resistance, load bearing capacity, and adhesion of domestic KHR 45A (A) steel.

This paper presents the results of a study aimed at determining the residual stress which results from developing the surface layer by low-pressure and conventional carburizing and grinding of 17CrNi6-6 steel. A synergistic effect of thermochemical and abrasive treatment was examined on ring samples used to study residual stress by Davidenkov’s method. Samples were subjected to vacuum carburizing and conventional carburizing, which was followed by grinding with a 38A60K8V aloxite grinding wheel and a CBN grinding wheel - RNB80/63B75V. The following cutting fluids were used during the grinding process: oil emulsion 5%, supply rate ca. 20 l/min, Micro5000 oil supplied at the minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) of ca. 25 ml/h, dry machining. The study determined the effect of the type of grinding wheel and the cooling and lubricating agent on the distribution of residual stress in the sur-face layer. The best effects of grinding with respect to the residual stress were achieved with flood cooling with oil emulsion and grinding with a CBN grinding wheel.

The cryogenic treatment (CT) process of carbide-free bainite steel after carburizing was optimized by the method combining thermal magnetic analysis, microhardness analysis and direct reading spectrometric analysis. The results show that cryogenic treatment temperature of the hardened layer should be lower than 134K by measuring thermal magnetic curve of the sample after carburizing at 1193K and air cooling (AC). After cryogenic treatment at 123K and tempering (T) at 463K, retained austenite content of the hardened layer is about 12.2% (mass fraction). The near surface layer of carburized steel is hardened dramatically through the cryogenic treatment, and the hardness of near surface layer reaches about 810HV1.0 after low temperature tempering. The distribution of hardness gradient of carburized steel tends to be reasonable.

In the production, transportation and processing of biological resources different electrical equipment is used, the integral part of which are DC machines. Energy efficiency and reliability of the production depends on the drives. The breakdown even of one engine may stop the production process and consequently entail losses. One reason for the failure of the DC motors is insulation damage due to exposure to partial discharge, however, a partial discharge detection technique has not been developed yet. For early warning of failure of DC machines and reducing the cost of unplanned stoppage on the replacement of a failed motor it is proposed to detect partial discharges at an early stage. There are many developments related to the detection of partial discharges. The majority of methods refer to equipment operating with AC voltage. For equipment operating at a constant voltage, reliable methods for partial discharge detection are not developed yet. Therefore, now the question of the diagnosis of partial discharge in the DC machine is quite relevant. Objective: to provide a method for detecting the partial discharge pulse applied using the DC voltage to the test object. Methods. A physical model for the detection of partial discharges was created. With the resulting model and electronic Tektronix oscilloscope type TDC-2012 the registration of partial discharge was carried out, for further processing and analysis on a computer. Results. The authors developed a method for the detection of partial discharge constant voltage by applying a short pulse. A series of tests, which revealed a number of certain laws by which we can judge the presence or absence of partial discharge in the test object, were performed by means of the created physical model. The authors obtained a patent on the basis of this research.

The abnormal grain growth of steel, which is occurs during carburization, adversely affects properties such as heat treatment deformation and fatigue strength. This study aimed to control abnormal grain growth by controlling the materials and processes. Thus, it was necessary to investigate the effects of microstructure, precipitation, and heat treatment conditions on abnormal grain growth. We simulated abnormal grain growth using the cellular automaton (CA) method. The simulations focused on the grain boundary anisotropy and dispersion of precipitates. We considered the effect of grain boundary misorientation on boundary energy and mobility. The dispersion state of the precipitates and its pinning effect were considered, and grain growth simulations were performed. The results showed that the CA simulation reproduced abnormal grain growth by emphasizing the grain boundary mobility and the influence of the dispersion state of the precipitate on the occurrence of abnormal grain growth. The study findings show that the CA method is a potential technique for the prediction of abnormal grain growth.

A proper hardening depth is critical to the load-bearing capacity of a part, and heat treatment, including carburizing and quenching, can highly determine the hardness distribution in the part’s surface after manufacturing. This paper proposes a ‘hardness prediction and parameter optimization’ approach that deploys the finite element method (FEM), the artificial neural network (ANN), and the Genetic Algorithm (GA), to describe the relationships between the carburizing/quenching parameters and the hardening depths and conversely to determine the optimized parameters for a given hardening depth. First, the numerical models for carburizing, quenching, and the hardness field are built respectively. And based on these models, the finite element simulation model is designed to predict the carbon content, the microstructure and the hardness of the part. A BP network is then trained by using the data obtained from the finite element simulation, and the model between the carburizing/quenching parameters and the hardening depths on part is established. The optimization model for the carburizing/quenching parameters is finally established through GA, which can determine the optimized parameters for a given hardening depth. The effectiveness of the ‘prediction-optimization’ approach is verified by a series of experiments. The hardening depth predicted by the proposed approach holds a 10% relative error from that measured in the carburizing and quenching experiment. And the optimized parameters for the heat treatment process can work as a meaningful reference for the heat treatment.

Nitriding and carburizing are important methods to strengthen the surface of iron-based alloys. Addition of rare earth (RE) during nitriding or carburizing will reduce processing time, increase thickness, improve microstructures and mechanical properties of modified surface layers. There are extensive applications for RE-nitriding and RE-carburizing in experimental researches and industrial manufacture. However, the researches on RE catalyzing during nitriding or carburizing on iron-based alloys are seldom reported. Therefore, first-principles calculations are employed to investigate RE-nitrided and RE-carburized layers on iron-based alloys in this work. Our investigations focus on solid solution and surface of bcc Fe with alloying elements such as C, N, La. Our calculated results are summarized as follows. (1) The concentration gradient of C (or N) + the repulsion of FIAs = the resultant force towards core of C (or N) atoms. The resultant force towards core is the diffusion driving force of N (or C) atoms in iron-based alloy. (2) The RE catalyzing mechanism is discovered. i. The diffusion driving force of N (or C) atoms is enhanced. The diffusion driving force of N (or C) atoms in RE-nitriding (or RE-carburizing) is the repulsion of N (or C) atoms + the La N (or C) repulsion. ii. The implantation of N (or C) atoms into the iron surface due to RE adsorption. iii. The RE catalyzing anti-trap theory is developed. The octahedral interstitials are the traps of N (or C) atoms. An anti-trap zone around a RE atom is formed due to the La N (or C) repulsion. Because of the existence of many anti-trap zones, the concentration of N (or C) increases rapidly. Furthermore, the increase of N (or C) concentration gradient accelerates the diffusion of N (or C) atoms. In our investigations, the RE catalyzing of RE-nitriding (or -carburizing) is proposed. This work is beneficial to the technological innovation of RE-nitriding (or -carburizing), design, preparation and application of RE-doped and modified new materials. Our calculation results and proposed theory are of significance to theoretical studies and applications. • Resultant force towards core is the diffusion driving force of N (or C) atoms in Fe. • Additional diffusion driving force of N (or C) atoms is the repulsion La N (or C). • C/N are implanted into octahedral sites in surface layer due to C/N-RE repulsion. • An anti-trap zone around a RE atom is formed due to the RE-N(or C) repulsion. • Anti-trap zones increase N/C concentration gradient and accelerate C/N diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of high computational power and sophisticated mathematical modeling techniques has ushered in a new era of multiscale and multiphysics materials and process modeling to accelerate engineering decision making. These developments have led to the concept of integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) which aims for concurrent design and development of materials, processes and products by making use of detailed material modeling supported by supplementary data-driven modeling and multiobjective optimization techniques. The present work focuses on adopting an ICME approach for concurrent design of carburizing-grade steel and process using integrated process modeling and design exploration technique. An integrated, composition-dependent, microstructure-based modeling module is used to model the process route of carburizing–quenching–tempering for carburizing-grade steels. The module is used to explore various combinations of composition and process set-points for predicting different microstructure and property outputs. The output generated by this module is used to develop surrogate models which is then used in a solution space exploration framework to obtain the most suitable composition and process conditions that can result in the desired requirements associated with the properties of final product while maintaining different operational constraints. The results predicted by the proposed framework are discussed and the need for in silico design approach for materials and process development is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]