Time and temperature of cockle shell catalyst on the effective case depth in the Pack carburizing process

Abstract

This research aims to study the factors affecting the hardness and case depth of low carbon steel subjected to the pack carburizing process using carbon-enriched coconut shell charcoal mixed with an accelerator from cockle shells. The goal is to determine the optimal factors for hardness and case depth of the test specimens. The study involves two factors, each with three levels. The first factor is the carburizing temperature, set at 900°C, 950°C, and 1,000°C. The second factor is the carburizing time, set at 2, 4, and 6 hours. After the surface carburizing process, the specimens are subjected to hardening at 780°C austenitizing temperature for 30 minutes, followed by immediate quenching in water. The specimens are then tempered at 180°C for 60 minutes and allowed to air cool. The hardness of the specimens is tested using the micro Vickers hardness method along the depth from the surface. The analysis results show that the highest surface hardness, 861 HV, was achieved at 1,000°C and 6 hours, with a case depth of 1.92 mm. It is concluded that carbon enrichment using coconut shell charcoal mixed with cockle shell accelerants can be effectively utilized in the pack carburizing process.