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

Carburising and carbonitriding have in the past been utilised as pure atmosphere gaseous processes relying on thermal reactions of CO- and H2-based atmospheres. Utilising pure hydrocarbon gases at low pressures in vacuum furnaces, and increasing their reactivity by plasma excitation and ionisation, has led to the novel process technology called plasma-carburising. The paper describes the state of the art of process technology, carbon transfer and control of the process, as well as the results achieved on various industrial applications in batch and continuous installations.