Gas carburizing of steel with furnace atmospheres formedIn Situ from propane and air: Part I. The effect of air-propane ratio on furnace atmosphere composition and the amount of carburizing

Gas carburizing experiments were conducted in a batch-type sealed quenched furnace at 843 and 927 °C using furnace atmospheres produced by reacting propane and air within the furnace chamber. With low, constant gas flow rates it is shown that the amount of carburizing varies regularly with air-propane ratio. Furnace atmosphere composition was monitored as a function of temperature and air-propane ratio and compared with the composition expected at thermodynamic equilibrium.