Best of the Web

Best of the Web: Precise Control of Protective Atmospheres

Source: Super Systems, Inc.

Achieving the elimination of oxidation during thermal treatment has driven heat treaters for decades and resulted in a wide variety of approaches. The obvious method is to flow an inert gas such as nitrogen into the furnace in order to drive out both air and moisture. By itself, however, this technique is inadequate.

The zirconia carbon sensor has been used for nearly three decades to control the carbon potential in many carburizing applications. Today’s best of the web article examines the use of the zirconia carbon sensor in a variety of annealing and special treatment applications and considers how the sensor millivolt output is preferred because it relates directly (not empirically) to the free oxygen concentration in the surrounding environment.

An Excerpt:

“While it is desirable to avoid oxidation during thermal treatment, the achievement of adequate control using one of the ‘getter’ gases requires that the sensor millivolts achieved be established at some value higher than the vee formed by the iron reaction at temperatures below 1375ºF and the carbon reaction above that temperature. The vee will demonstrate the lower limit, but the practical level should be established by evaluation of product quality, getter cost and possible sooting. The appropriate level will be limited by such things as furnace leaks, atmosphere agitation, work porosity, time of treatment, etc.”

Read the entire article from Super Systems, Inc., by clicking here: “Precise Control of Protective Atmospheres


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Parts Distortion: How To Predict It and How To Account for It

Source: Paulo

No matter the craft, disappointment is inevitable when the end result doesn’t turn out as planned. But in heat treatment, distortion is more than just a disappointment, it could contribute to weakness in a component, putting lives at risk. The industry can be credited for its commitment to determining the causes and manners in which parts distort and how to eliminate the risk.

Today’s best of the web article examines the inevitability of distortion in heat treating and demonstrates how to predict changes in size and shape of parts during processing, acknowledging that “maintaining dimensional accuracy is essential, especially for mission-critical and safety-critical components with the tightest tolerances.”

An Excerpt:

“Every part you heat treat will have some degree of ‘ballooning’ and distortion, but there are ways to predict how much your parts will deform. Knowing how your parts will change during heat treatment allows you to account for that change in the design of the part and, in a perfect world, avoid an additional round of machining after heat treatment.”

Read the entire article from Paulo by clicking here: “How Much Distortion To Expect in Heat Treating”


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Humidity Got You (and Your Furnace) Down?

Source: Ipsen

Here in the northern hemisphere, the dog days of summer are upon us. This folksy phrase has come to signify the months when humidity weighs heavily in the air, but it’s got a lot more history to it than that. According to the ancients of Rome and Greece, the dog days not only brought drought and heat but also caused man and his best friend to go mad. Madness may not be the result of seasonal humidity, but manufacturing disruptions could be.

Humidity affects nearly all processing environments, but some, like heat treating, are more prone to humidity-related disruptions This question was submitted to the Ask the Expert team at Ipsen: Operating a furnace in an environment that has been dealing with high heat and humidity has posed more challenges than we’ve experienced in the past. What are some things that we should be watching out for when operating our furnaces to make sure they’re running efficiently despite the temperature and humidity?

In this best of the web article, consider the damage humidity can do to your vacuum furnace and gather some tips to maintain your vacuum furnaces during hot, muggy weather.

An excerpt:

“High temperatures cause changes in electricity flows, which increase resistance. Additionally, excessive humidity reduces transformer insulation and resistance, while oxidizing electrical conductors. And the difference between cooling water temperature and ambient temperature with high humidity can cause the vacuum vessel to “sweat,” affecting the entire furnace’s electrical system and transformers’ performance.

Here are nine key things you can do to maintain vacuum furnaces during hot, muggy weather:

  • Clean the hot zone, check insulation and ceramics, and repair if necessary. Run periodic burnout cycles.
  • Check, secure, and mark all electrical connections. Apply conductive copper grease to improve electrical contact between surfaces.
  • Clean all vents in the control cabinet without the air-conditioning. Use silica gel to reduce moisture.” 

Read the rest of the list and the entire article from Ipsen by clicking here: “Ask the Expert: Protecting Your Vacuum Furnace from Humidity (Part 2)”

Read Part 1 (about air curtains that protect equipment from humidity just like the air curtains you encounter when walking from a hot parking lot into a cold grocery store) here and Part 3 (about vacuum cool events) here.



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Near Net Shape, Meet HIP

Source: Quintus Technologies

A major concern with cast products is fatigue resistance and getting the right mechanical properties. Of course, thermal processing plays a role, and for years, hot isostatic pressing has been solving this very problem.

Today’s best of the web article details out how the process can remove shrinkage porosity and internal defect, ultimately leading to a more resistant part for some of the most critical applications: nuclear power.

An Excerpt:

“The production of specially designed canisters can lead to predictive final shapes with extremely complex geometries, which are a viable option to forging, casting and additive manufacturing. The processing is referred to as Powder Metallurgy Near-Net-Shape (PM NNS), or Powder Metallurgy HIP (PM HIP).”

Read the entire article from Quintus Technologies by clicking here: Manufacturing of Nuclear components using Powder Metallurgy Near Net Shape production and Hot Isostatic Pressing


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Sintering Considerations: Vacuum vs. HIP

Source: TAV Vacuum Furnaces

When processing cemented carbide, there are a few considerations you need to understand to use the proper sintering equipment. One of the biggest factors is the actual material; what is the colbalt content level of the processed material?

In this best of the web article, walk through the steps of dewaxing, sintering for appropriate densification, and the processing temperatures that are required for sintering cemented carbide.

An Excerpt:

“Other than mechanical stresses due to the differential pressure between inside and ambient pressure outside the furnace, operating at relatively high temperatures with high pressure of gas would lead to significant dissipations of heat to the external environment. This is not only anti-economic from an efficiency point of view, but could also compromise the structural integrity of the water-cooled steel vessel of the furnace by overheating it.”

Read the entire article from TAV Vacuum Furnaces, written by Giorgio Valsecchi, by clicking here: “SINTERING OF CEMENTED CARBIDE: A USER-FRIENDLY OVERVIEW – PT.2


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The Melting Point: Lesson on Eutectic Reactions

What is the most common scenario for a eutectic reaction? And (for that matter) what constitutes a eutectic reaction?

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If your heat treat operations involves vacuum heat treatments, you may already be familiar with this term. With the ability to truly make a bad day worse, this paper uncovers several examples of eutectic reactions, the costs that this “metallurgical experiment” can have on your load and furnace, and what steps you should take to prevent two mating metals from melting together. In this best of the web article, read about the eight examples of how barriers are used in real-world applications.

An excerpt: “To many people, the term ‘eutectic’ is not well understood. The best way to think of a eutectic is a metallurgical meltdown. A eutectic reaction occurs when two components with different melting points and surfaces free of oxides come in contact with each other in the vacuum furnace. This can create an atomic diffusion. For some materials, when a specific atomic composition is reached, they will melt at a temperature much lower than the melting point of the individual metals. If that temperature is reached or exceeded during the heat treating cycle, melting will occur at the contact points. This is referred to as a eutectic melt.”

Read the entire article from Solar Atmospheres, by clicking here: “Preventing Eutectic Reactions and Diffusion Bonding in Vacuum Processing


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Nitriding and Surface Condition of Parts

Best of the WebSource: Advanced Heat Treat Corp.

Metallography and nitriding, while two separate things, actually have a relationship. Do you know what it is? Would you be surprised to know that one enhances the other? Read this best of the web article to clearly see how metallography results help the nitriding of ferrous alloys be the best that it can be.

Find out how metallography is an essential tool in the nitriding process. Take a look at some basic definitions and peruse some microscope images that help explain what nitriding does to different materials. Dig even deeper with discussion of problems such as not enough stress relief and the presence of sulfides. Metallography helps explain, in this article, what nitriding can do for many different applications.

An excerpt:

Producing the best nitrided layers for the given application requires a good cooperation between designers of the product and the manufacturing companies making it . . . . Metallography of the parts, or samples which run together with them, is extremely important for verifying results of this thermochemical treatment and assessing the properties of the layer formed during, the data are also used for maintaining a good predictability of the process.

Read more: "Controlling the Nitriding Layers and Process with Metallography."

 


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Vacuum Furnaces: Finding and Managing Leaks

Best of the WebSource: Solar Atmospheres

Keep that furnace running! Obviously, a furnace leak can be quite counterproductive and make it troublesome or even impossible to keep it going. What can be done? Thankfully, there are several solutions. This best of the web article gives helpful measures in defining leaks, detecting leaks, solutions for effectively stopping a leak, and much more.

As you move through the post, you'll encounter a tutorial that starts with the basics. A furnace leak if defined with differences described between a normal leak and something such as an outgassing problem. Then, other information is presented with descriptions on the rate of the leak and possible locations for said leak. The article continues with methods for leak checking and wraps up with a check list of sorts for vacuum furnace users.

An excerpt:

Some operators or leak checking personnel will often use a stethoscope when checking for leaks, as its ability to transmit low-volume sounds and eliminate external noise is exceptional. Often in gross leaks or some smaller leaks, a standard paint brush and soapy wash solution is helpful. Brush the solution around suspected leak areas. Big leaks will blow big bubbles at the leak while smaller leaks will form very fine foam.

Read more: "Vacuum Furnace Leaks and Detection Techniques"


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Diagnosing Discolored Work in Vacuum Heat Treating

Source: VAC AERO International, Inc.

Part discoloration after vacuum heat treating? What can heat treaters do to prevent this? In this best of the web, Q&A-style article, witness the heat treating industry gather around to exchange ideas and find a solution to the problem. Part position, backfill gas level, contaminated quench gas, or an air leak could all be to blame in this Technical Tuesday.

Dan Herring weighs in on the issue as well. To read The Heat Treat Doctor's® diagnosis, click the link below. Learn how the color and position of the discoloration give clues as to the source of the problem.

An excerpt:

"So, what else could be happening? Let The Doctor add a few thoughts to the discussion. First, the fact that the discoloration (staining) is brown in coloration suggests that the oxide is forming on the part surface during cooling when the temperature is in the range of (approximate) 245ºC – 270ºC (475ºF – 520ºF). This is supported by the fact that the oxidation does not occur “during natural cooling” (which we assume to mean cooling under vacuum). Second, the fact that the discoloration is more evident at the bottom of the load suggests the phenomenon is (gas exposure) time dependent, that is, the longer the parts take to cool through the critical range, the greater the chance for discoloration."

Read more: Discolored Work in a Vacuum Furnace – The Heat Treat Community Answers the Clarion Call


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Heat Treat with New Techniques: Using Micro-Ingots in Steel Production

Source: Powder Metallurgy Review

Railroad wheel bearing from AISI 8620 steel (photo source: “Powder Metallurgy Review)

Many of you are likely to have heard Harb Nayar, president of TAT Technologies, LLC, expert in all things sintering, explain innovative ways to produce heat treated products. But perhaps you are wondering, how would “atomised prealloyed steel particles,” that is micro-ingots, work within the realm of heat treat?

This Heat Treat Today Best of the Web feature is pulled from a powder metallurgy (PM) whitepaper in which Harb Nayar describes the PM background, processes, and application in more detail. Read his detailed whitepaper, “The micro-ingot route: A variant of the PM process that could offer new opportunities for the PM industry,” on the web, or download the free PDF.

An excerpt: “This micro-ingot approach, when combined with newer heat treatment technologies, can lead to a redesign of the current macro-ingot products that can potentially help to reduce the weight of the finished product resulting in a longer product life span.”

Read More: “The micro-ingot route: A variant of the PM process that could offer new opportunities for the PM industry,” Powder Metallurgy Review, Autumn/Fall 2020, Vol. 9 No. 3, pages 81-87.

 

 

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