Including: Carburising, Carburised, Case Carburisation
Carburising is adding carbon (normally to steel). In steel, increasing carbon concentration will increase the proportion of cementite, or at lower concentrations, increase the solid solution strengthening due to the carbon atoms. In either case the strength/hardness of the steel will be increased. Steels are carburised generally to increase hardness but this will also reduce ductility so case carburising is used. Case Carburising increases the carbon content (and therefore hardness) of the outer layer of the steel, while the rest of the item is unchanged. Case carburisation is performed by putting the steel item in a hot, carbon rich environment to allow diffusion of the carbon into the outer layers of the steel.
Associated terms: Decarburisation, Cementite, Solid Solution Strengthening
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