Plasma-carburising - a surface heat treatment process for the new century

Carburising and carbonitriding have in the past been utilised as pure atmos phere gaseous processes relying on thermal reactions of CO- and H-2-based a tmospheres. Utilising pure hydrocarbon gases at low pressures in vacuum fur naces, and increasing their reactivity by plasma excitation and ionisation, has led to the novel process technology called plasma-carburising. The pap er describes the state of the art of process technology, carbon transfer an d control of the process, as well as the results achieved on various indust rial applications in batch and continuous installations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.