Carbonization is a process of heat-treating steel to produce a surface layer with a higher carbon content and tougher surface quality than that achieved through quenching. Through carbonization, the teeth of high load-bearing gears can become more resistant to wear and fatigue, allowing higher-performance parts to be produced such as high-performance high-density gears with increased strength and load capacity.
Carbonization involves maintaining a part at a high temperature for a certain amount of time, allowing the carbon content at the surface layer to increase. The combination of a high temperature and the right amount of time produces a hard, carbon-rich layer on the part, protecting it from wear and fatigue. Carbonizing can be done at temperatures ranging from 400 to 800° Fahrenheit and times from two to twenty hours depending on the desired results, with the desired carbon content achieved by controlling the heat-treating cycle.
High-density gears, with their increased strength and load capacity, are beneficial for applications that require high-speed operation and experience higher loads than standard steel gears. Carbonizing these gears can produce a harder, tougher surface layer that can withstand high contact stresses better than that of non-heat-treated gears. The combination of the high-carbon surface layer and the ductile core creates an excellent load-bearing capacity and fatigue strength, making the gears suitable for use in power transmission applications that require extra strength and durability.
In addition to the increased load-bearing capacity and fatigue strength, it is the superior wear resistance that makes carbonized gears the ideal choice for high-load applications. The hard surface layer helps protect the part against abrasion, while the ductile core helps absorb high impact shocks. The combination of these properties makes the gears capable of withstanding higher load density over longer periods of time, making them ideal for high-load applications such as electric motors or auto parts.
Overall, carbonizing high-load steel gears can provide many advantages. It can create a hard, tough surface layer that is capable of withstanding higher contact stresses and the harsh operating conditions encountered in high-load applications. It also helps to increase the load-bearing capacity and fatigue strength of the part, making it ideal for long-term, high-load applications. For these reasons, carbonizing is an essential process for producing high-performance, high-density gears for any application.
