Designing and constructing a controlled prototype for steel gaseous carburisation using alcohols

Abstract

This article deals with designing, constructing and testing a laboratory scale apparatus for heat treatment with controlled atmosphere. The equipment was used for studying steel carburisation with alcohols. The equipment has an area for the controlled production of a gas atmosphere composed by up to 3 gases and 2 volatile liquids, an inert and hermetic isothermal reaction area and a gas analysis area which retains solids and condensable liquids. The equipment was provided with pressure and carbon dioxide concentration sensors. Eight experiments were carried out with methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol and tertbutanol as carbon source. The results showed that methanol caused carburisation but layer depth was small and produced a low quantity of soot, ethanol caused decarburisation and formed large quantities of soot, n-propanol, isopropanol and the tertbutanol provided good carbon potential and layers having good depth with good soot and tar production. Soot and tar production followed this order: n-propanol < tertbutanol < isopropanol.

Keywords

• heat treatment equipment with controlled atmosphere
• gas carburisation using alcohols
• carburised layer characterisation