Effect of boron on vacuum carburising depth of iron powder metallurgy compacts

Abstract

The work was aimed at determining the effect of boron on vacuum carburising of iron compacts with density over 7·2 g cm^–3. An attempt was made to determine the effectiveness of boron on carbon diffusion rate into the material of compacts with no additional effect of interconnected porosity. Vacuum carburising of compacts made of iron powder with an addition of boron was carried out at 1050°C in a laboratory vacuum furnace.

The effect of boron content within 0·005 to 0·02% on the vacuum carburising depth was analysed. It was found that the boron addition up to 0·01% increased the carburising depth by ～0% in comparison with the compacts of pure iron.