Surface Saturation with Carbon Using Plasma Arc and Graphite Coating

This study presents the development of a novel equipment for carburizing, by means of a plasma arc and a graphite paste based on liquid glass. After processing by this method, the microstructure and microhardness of the hardened layer were studied. The assay revealed that during a brief plasma exposure, the surface layer was saturated with carbon to a concentration level, which corresponds to white cast iron. The microstructures and characteristics of the metal surface post plasma cementation were also studied. The main parameters of the cemented layer were determined: the depth of the cemented layer was 150-200 µm, microhardness was up to 1000 HV0.2.