Tailored Carburization: Adjusted mechanical Properties in blank plane and blank thickness direction

Within this research project, basic methods for an adjustment of mechanical properties via local carburization have been developed. To accomplish this, the sheets of a complex phase steel are coated with graphite and subsequently heat-treated at temperatures between 900 °C and 950 °C. A suitable process window was identified based on the influencing factors' carburization time, carburization temperature and sheet thickness. Afterwards, a detailed characterization of the transition zones between carburized and non-carburized areas was conducted. Furthermore, this research project seeked to analyze the additional coating's influence on the heat transfer coefficient as well as verify the results by applying them to a model geometry.