Numerical simulation of phase transformation during gas quenching after low pressure carburizing

Abstract

Low pressure carburizing followed by high pressure gas quenching is often applied to steel elements in order to increase their strength and durability, but undesirable distortions are also formed due to this process. In order to minimize these distortions, the Vacuum UCM furnace manufactured by SECO/WARWICK conducted by single piece flow method is proposed. A refined simulation that describes the quenching phenomena with enough accuracy can reduce the project and optimization costs as it replaces the trial and error method. The goal of this study was to create a computer model that can predict the behaviour of the phase transformations that occurs at 4D quenching chamber after low pressure carburizing in single piece flow technology. First, an investigation about the simulations that has been developed in this area was done. Based on physical phenomena involved in this process, a numerical scheme was created; The numerical scheme was applied to the real steel element that was submitted to the single piece flow technology process; The numerical simulation was compared with the experimental data. As a result, a numerical model able to simulate phase transformation after complex chemical-heat treatment in the single peace flow technology was obtained.