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Hubei CAILONEN Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd
Hubei Cailonen Intelligent Technology Co., LTD. (formerly Wuhan Electric furnaceFactory) is the designated professional, design and research of the Ministry of Machinery Industry Development, production and sales of industrial electric furnaces large-scale state-owned restructuring enterprises Industry, is the China Heat Treatment Association, Hubei Casting Association, WuHan forging industry association governing unit. Since the restructuring of the company, it has rapidly grown into a Chinese high-end heat treatment manufacturing enterprise with strong research and development strength, complete design software, advanced processing technology and complete production equipment, with an annual output of 500 sets of large-scale standard heat treatment equipment and 30 sets of non-standard production lines. Many years of experience in the industry, in cooperation with a number of well-known universities in China, the existing professional team R & D is committed to providing customers with professional solutions. The main products are: Intelligent tempering production line, new energy lithium battery anode material granulation pre-carbonization production line, new energy vehicle lightweight thermoforming production line, new energy ling production line, all-fiber electric heating trolley furnace, all-fiber gas heat treatment (forging) trolley furnace, large variable capacity trolley furnace, protective atmosphere box tempering production line, hanging cylinder liner tempering production line, microcomputer controlled carburizing/nitriding furnace Vacuum furnace, well furnace, mesh furnace, roller sintering furnace, aluminum alloy quenching (solution, aging) furnace, all hydrogen hood bright annealing furnace, ADI salt isothermal quenching production line, rotary kiln baking furnace, medium frequency furnace, high frequency furnace, induction melting furnace, induction hardening production line, and other standard and non-standard heat treatment equipment. According to the requirements of users, we can provide a full set of technology and services such as product heat treatment process plan formulation, heat treatment workshop design, heat treatment equipment selection and design and manufacturing, installation and commissioning, production operation, after-sales maintenance, etc., to ensure the safety and reliability of customers before and after using products. Products involved in aerospace, shipbuilding, iron and steel, metallurgy, chemical industry, ceramics, automobile, casting, forging, sanitary ware, mining....... And other fields. Solutions can be developed according to different application scenarios and requirements.
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Effect of Heat Treatment Process on the Microstructure and Hardness of 20CrMoH Steel Gear Forgings 2025-07-29 Effect of Heat Treatment Process on the Microstructure and Hardness of 20CrMoH Steel Gear Forgings 20CrMoH steel is a high-quality alloy structural steel. Due to its composition of alloying elements such as chromium (Cr) and molybdenum (Mo), it exhibits excellent hardenability, strength-toughness balance, and machinability. It is a commonly used material for high-load gear forgings in automotive, construction machinery, and other fields. Its final properties, especially microstructure and hardness, largely depend on heat treatment processes. Different processes lead to significant differences by altering phase transformations, carbon distribution, and grain states in the steel. The following is a detailed analysis from three aspects: preliminary heat treatment processes, final heat treatment processes, and influence of key process parameters. I. Influence of Preliminary Heat Treatment Processes on Microstructure and Hardness After forging, gear forgings form an inhomogeneous microstructure (such as overheated grains, Widmanstätten structure, banded pearlite, etc.) and retain forging stress. Preliminary heat treatment (normalizing or annealing) is required to eliminate defects and lay the foundation for subsequent processing and final heat treatment. 1. Normalizing Process Process Characteristics: The forging is heated to 30-50°C above Ac₃ (austenitization critical temperature, approximately 880-920°C), held for a sufficient time to fully austenitize the microstructure, and then air-cooled to room temperature. Influence on Microstructure: The rapid cooling (air cooling) in normalizing can inhibit the reticular precipitation of ferrite along grain boundaries, refine grains, and transform the microstructure into uniform fine pearlite + a small amount of ferrite (the pearlite lamellae are finer), eliminating the Widmanstätten structure and coarse grains after forging. Influence on Hardness: The mixed structure of fine pearlite and ferrite has moderate hardness, usually 180-220HBW, which not only meets the requirements of subsequent cutting processing (machinability is good when hardness is below 250HBW) but also provides a uniform original microstructure for final heat treatment such as carburizing. 2. Annealing Process Process Characteristics: Full annealing (heating to 20-30°C above Ac₃, followed by slow cooling with the furnace after holding) or isothermal annealing (holding at the pearlite transformation temperature range after heating) is commonly used. Influence on Microstructure: Slow cooling allows sufficient carbon diffusion, resulting in more uniform pearlite + ferrite (the pearlite lamellae are thicker and more 弥散分布), completely eliminating forging stress and composition segregation. In the case of spheroidizing annealing (for high-carbon regions), carbides can be spheroidized to further improve machinability. Influence on Hardness: The microstructure after annealing is softer, with a hardness usually of 160-190HBW, which is lower than that after normalizing. It is suitable for forgings with complex shapes and high cutting difficulty, but the production cycle is longer. II. Influence of Final Heat Treatment Processes on Microstructure and Hardness Gears need to meet the performance requirements of "high surface hardness for wear resistance and high core toughness for impact resistance". Therefore, the final heat treatment is mainly carburizing-quenching + low-temperature tempering; some low-load gears may adopt quenching and tempering. 1. Carburizing-Quenching + Low-Temperature Tempering This is the core process for 20CrMoH steel gears, achieving performance matching through "carburizing to enrich surface carbon content → quenching to obtain martensite → low-temperature tempering to eliminate stress".   Carburizing Stage: Process Characteristics: Holding in a carbon-rich atmosphere (carbon potential 1.0-1.2%) at 900-930°C to increase the surface carbon content from the original approximately 0.2% to 0.8-1.2% (the core carbon content remains around 0.2%). Influence on Microstructure: High-carbon austenite is formed on the surface, and low-carbon austenite is formed in the core; insufficient holding time leads to low and uneven surface carbon concentration; excessive temperature (>950°C) causes coarse austenite grains (overheating). Influence on Hardness: Without quenching after carburizing, the surface hardness is slightly higher than that of the core (approximately 250-300HBW) due to the high carbon content, but there is no substantial strengthening. Quenching Stage: Process Characteristics: After carburizing, the temperature is reduced to 820-860°C (austenitization temperature), held, and then oil-cooled (or austempered). The hardenability of 20CrMoH steel (Mo element improves hardenability) is utilized to achieve phase transformation. Influence on Microstructure: Surface (high-carbon region): Transformed into acicular martensite + retained austenite + a small amount of carbides (martensite plates are fine, and the martensite strengthening effect is significant due to the high carbon content); Core (low-carbon region): Transformed into lath martensite (or bainite, depending on the cooling rate), without reticular ferrite (due to sufficient hardenability); Insufficient cooling rate (such as excessively high oil temperature) may cause pearlite or troostite on the surface and ferrite in the core, resulting in unqualified microstructure. Influence on Hardness: After quenching, the surface hardness reaches 62-65HRC (high martensite hardness), and the core hardness is 35-45HRC (low-carbon martensite has good toughness), but there is a large amount of quenching stress. Low-Temperature Tempering Stage: Process Characteristics: Holding at 150-200°C for 1-3 hours to eliminate quenching stress and stabilize the microstructure. Influence on Microstructure: Surface martensite is transformed into tempered martensite (acicular refinement), part of the retained austenite is transformed into martensite, and carbides are precipitated more uniformly; core low-carbon martensite is transformed into tempered low-carbon martensite (laths are clearer). Influence on Hardness: The surface hardness slightly decreases to 58-62HRC (maintaining high hardness), and the core hardness decreases to 30-40HRC (toughness is improved). After stress elimination, deformation and cracking during use are avoided. 2. Quenching and Tempering (Quenching + High-Temperature Tempering) Some low-load gears (such as auxiliary gears with small torque transmission) may adopt quenching and tempering as the final heat treatment to pursue a balance between strength and toughness.   Process Characteristics: Quenching at 860-880°C (water-cooled or oil-cooled) followed by high-temperature tempering at 600-650°C. Influence on Microstructure: Forming tempered sorbite (fine carbides uniformly distributed in the ferrite matrix), with refined and uniform grains. Influence on Hardness: Moderate hardness (220-280HBW), balancing strength (σb ≥ 800MPa) and toughness (impact energy ≥ 60J), but the surface has no high-hardness layer and poor wear resistance. III. Influence of Key Process Parameters on Microstructure and Hardness Heat treatment process parameters (temperature, holding time, cooling rate) directly determine the stability of microstructure and hardness. The common influences are as follows:   Process Parameters Abnormal Conditions Influence on Microstructure Influence on Hardness Heating Temperature Excessively high (e.g., >950°C for carburizing) Coarse austenite grains (overheating), occurrence of Widmanstätten structure Slight decrease in surface hardness after quenching, large fluctuation in core hardness
Failure Modes and Strengthening Methods of Heat-Resistant Steel 2025-07-24 Failure Modes and Strengthening Methods of Heat-Resistant Steel Heat-resistant steel is a type of steel that serves for a long time in high-temperature environments (usually ≥ 500℃) and needs to simultaneously meet the requirements of high-temperature strength (resistance to creep and fracture) and high-temperature stability (oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance to media). It is widely used in equipment such as power plant boilers, gas turbines, and chemical reactors. Its failure modes are closely related to physical, chemical, and mechanical behaviors in high-temperature environments, and strengthening methods need to specifically address these failure mechanisms. I. Main Failure Modes of Heat-Resistant Steel The failure of heat-resistant steel is the result of the combined action of the high-temperature environment (temperature, stress, medium) and the material's own properties. The main failure modes are as follows: 1. Oxidation and High-Temperature Corrosion Failure At high temperatures, heat-resistant steel reacts chemically with gases or media (such as sulfides, chlorides) in the environment like O₂, CO₂, and H₂O, resulting in surface material loss, which is one of the most common failure modes.   Mechanism: At high temperatures, metal atoms react with active elements such as oxygen to form oxide films (e.g., FeO, Fe₂O₃). If the oxide film is loose and easy to peel off, it cannot prevent the continuous invasion of the medium, leading to continuous consumption of the material and eventual failure due to wall thickness reduction or strength decrease. If there are elements like S and Cl in the environment (such as sulfur-containing flue gas and chloride media), high-temperature corrosion (such as sulfidation corrosion and chlorination corrosion) will occur. The generated sulfides (FeS) or chlorides (FeCl₃) have low melting points and are volatile, accelerating the corrosion process. Typical Case: When boiler superheater tubes serve in sulfur-containing flue gas, a loose mixed layer of FeS and FeO forms on the surface. After peeling, the tube wall thins rapidly and eventually bursts. 2. Creep Failure At high temperatures (usually exceeding 0.5Tm, where Tm is the absolute melting point temperature), the material undergoes slow plastic deformation under long-term constant stress, and eventually fails due to excessive deformation or fracture. This is the main failure mode of heat-resistant steel under load.   Mechanism: At high temperatures, the diffusion ability of atoms enhances, and dislocations inside the material move slowly, grain boundaries slide, or cavities grow, resulting in macroscopic deformation (such as elongation and bulging). When the deformation exceeds the critical value (usually 1%-5%), cracks will be initiated and propagate to fracture. The characteristic of creep failure is that the fracture surface shows intergranular fracture (grain boundaries are weak links, prone to cavity formation), and the deformation is irreversible. Typical Case: Steam turbine bolts serve under high temperature and pressure for a long time, leading to excessive elongation due to creep, which fails to ensure sealing and even breaks. 3. Thermal Fatigue Failure It is a failure mode in which materials generate cracks after repeated action of constrained stress (thermal stress) due to thermal expansion and contraction during periodic temperature changes (such as heating-cooling cycles).   Mechanism: During temperature changes, the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients between the internal material or adjacent components (such as shells and pipes) leads to periodic alternating thermal stress. When the stress exceeds the fatigue limit of the material, microcracks will be generated on the surface or at defects, and gradually expand to penetrating cracks. Thermal fatigue cracks are mostly reticular or radial and expand along or through grains (depending on material toughness). Typical Case: The exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine generates a large number of thermal fatigue cracks on the surface due to repeated start-stop and severe temperature fluctuations, and eventually breaks. 4. Microstructural Degradation Failure Long-term service at high temperatures causes irreversible changes in the microstructure of heat-resistant steel (such as phase precipitation, grain coarsening, and structural transformation), resulting in the decline of mechanical properties (strength, toughness).   Typical Cases: Pearlitic heat-resistant steel (e.g., 12Cr1MoV): The cementite (Fe₃C) in pearlite spheroidizes, aggregates, and even transforms into graphite under long-term high temperatures, leading to a significant decrease in strength. Austenitic heat-resistant steel: The strengthening phase (such as γ' phase Ni₃Al) coarsens or dissolves under long-term high temperatures, losing the strengthening effect and reducing creep resistance. II. Strengthening Methods of Heat-Resistant Steel Strengthening methods need to address the above failure mechanisms and achieve the goal by improving oxidation resistance, high-temperature strength, creep resistance, and thermal fatigue toughness, mainly including alloying, heat treatment, surface modification, and microstructure control. 1. Alloying Strengthening (Core Method) Optimizing the composition by adding alloying elements to improve the high-temperature performance of materials is the most basic strengthening method.   Improving Oxidation Resistance: Adding elements such as Cr (12%-30%), Al (2%-5%), and Si (1%-3%) to form a dense oxide film (such as Cr₂O₃, Al₂O₃, SiO₂) on the surface to block the invasion of media. For example, when the Cr content is ≥ 12%, a continuous Cr₂O₃ film can be formed on the steel surface, significantly improving oxidation resistance. Improving High-Temperature Strength (Creep Resistance): Solid Solution Strengthening: Adding W and Mo (with large atomic radii, forming strong bonding with Fe) to improve the bonding force between matrix atoms and inhibit dislocation movement (for example, Mo can increase the creep activation energy of the iron matrix by more than 30%). Precipitation Strengthening: Adding V, Nb, Ti, Ta, etc., to form high-temperature stable carbides/nitrides (such as VC, NbC) with C/N, pinning dislocations and grain boundaries, and hindering creep deformation (for example, V in 12Cr1MoV forms VC, significantly improving creep strength). Phase Stabilization: Adding Ni (8%-20%) to form an austenitic matrix (more stable than ferrite with low diffusion coefficient), such as 310S austenitic steel (25%Cr-20%Ni) can serve for a long time above 1000℃. Improving Thermal Fatigue Performance: Adding Mn and Ni to reduce the thermal expansion coefficient (for example, Incoloy 800H has a 20% lower thermal expansion coefficient than ferritic steel due to containing 30% Ni), or adding Cu and Nb to improve material toughness (inhibiting crack propagation). 2. Heat Treatment Strengthening Regulating the microstructure through heat treatment to optimize the quantity, size, and distribution of precipitated phases and improve high-temperature performance.   Solution Treatment + Aging Treatment: Suitable for austenitic heat-resistant steel (e.g., GH4169): Solution treatment (1000-1100℃) makes alloying elements (Nb, Ti) dissolve uniformly, and aging treatment (700-800℃) precipitates γ'' phase (Ni₃Nb) and γ' phase (Ni₃Al), significantly improving creep resistance through precipitation strengthening. Normalizing + Tempering: Suitable for pearlitic heat-resistant steel (e.g., 12Cr1MoV): Normalizing (950-1050℃) obtains fine pearlite structure, and tempering (750-800℃) eliminates stress and stabilizes carbides, preventing pearlite spheroidization under long-term high temperatures (spheroidization will lead to a strength decrease of more than 50%). Annealing Treatment: It is used to eliminate processing stress (such as the heat-affected zone after welding), refine grains, and avoid the initiation of thermal fatigue cracks. 3. Surface Strengthening Forming a protective layer through surface modification to isolate high-temperature media or improve surface performance, making up for the deficiency of matrix performance.   Surface Alloying: Aluminizing and chromizing (such as aluminizing treatment): Forming an Al₂O₃ or Cr₂O₃ enriched layer (50-200μm thick) on the steel surface, which increases the oxidation resistance temperature by 200-300℃ compared with the matrix (for example, aluminized 20G steel can serve above 800℃). Coating Technology: Using high-temperature ceramic coatings (such as Al₂O₃, ZrO₂) or intermetallic compound coatings (such as NiAl), prepared by physical vapor deposition (PVD) or plasma spraying, which are both heat-insulating and corrosion-resistant (the thermal conductivity of the coating is only 1/10-1/20 of that of steel). Laser Surface Melting: Rapidly heating and cooling the surface with a laser to form a fine-grained or amorphous layer, improving surface hardness and wear resistance, and reducing oxide scale peeling. 4. Microstructure Control Optimizing high-temperature performance by controlling microstructures such as grain size and phase composition.   Grain Size Optimization: Coarse grains (with small grain boundary area) can reduce grain boundary sliding and improve creep strength (for example, turbine blades using coarse-grained austenitic steel have a 30% increase in creep life); fine grains can improve toughness and thermal fatigue performance (grain boundaries hinder crack propagation, for example, heat exchanger tubes using fine-grained ferritic steel have a 50% extension in thermal fatigue life). Duplex Structure Design: Such as ferrite-austenite duplex steel (e.g., 2205), ferrite provides good oxidation resistance, austenite provides high strength, and it has both corrosion resistance and creep resistance (the applicable temperature range is 100-150℃ wider than that of single-phase steel). Summary The failure of heat-resistant steel mainly stems from oxidation corrosion, creep deformation, thermal fatigue cracks, and microstructural degradation in high-temperature environments. Its strengthening requires the cooperation of alloying (improving essential performance), heat treatment (optimizing structure), surface strengthening (isolation protection), and microstructure control (matching service requirements). For example, boiler tubes need to focus on strengthening oxidation resistance and creep resistance (adding Cr, Mo + aluminizing), while exhaust manifolds need to prioritize improving thermal fatigue performance (grain refinement + alloying with low expansion coefficient).
The application of deep-well ion nitriding furnaces 2025-07-17 The application of deep-well ion nitriding furnaces Deep-well ion nitriding furnaces are specialized surface heat treatment equipment designed for elongated workpieces. Their furnace bodies are vertically deep-well shaped, allowing for the processing of long rods, tubular parts, shafts, and other specially shaped workpieces by suspending or placing them vertically. With their adaptability to elongated workpieces, uniform heating, and precise control over nitrided layer quality, they play a crucial role in various industrial fields. Below are their main application scenarios and characteristics: I. Core Application Fields and Typical Workpieces The core application of deep-well ion nitriding furnaces lies in addressing the need for "surface hardening of elongated workpieces". Specific fields and workpieces are as follows: 1. Machinery Manufacturing and Transmission Industry Typical Workpieces: Long shafts (e.g., reducer output shafts, rolling mill drive shafts), elongated lead screws (e.g., ball screws for large machine tools), worm gears, etc. Reasons for Application: These workpieces require surface wear resistance (to prevent wear during transmission) and a tough core (for impact resistance). Their lengths typically range from 1 to 5 meters (or even longer), making them incompatible with horizontal furnaces. Deep-well furnaces, however, can suspend workpieces vertically to avoid bending deformation, while ensuring uniform nitrided layer thickness across the shaft (with an error margin controlled within 0.02mm) to guarantee transmission accuracy. 2. Automotive and Construction Machinery Industry Typical Workpieces: Automotive steering shafts, heavy-duty truck drive shafts, hydraulic cylinder piston rods (up to 3-6 meters in length), excavator boom pins, etc. Reasons for Application: These workpieces are subject to long-term alternating loads, friction, or hydraulic impact, requiring a surface-hardened layer (hardness 50-100HRC) to enhance wear resistance and fatigue strength. Deep-well furnaces can meet the "full-length nitriding" requirement for elongated parts like piston rods. In particular, the surface of piston rods needs a uniform ε-phase nitrided layer (corrosion and wear resistance) to prevent cylinder leakage due to local wear. 3. Machine Tool and Precision Equipment Industry Typical Workpieces: Long guide rails of large machine tools (e.g., gantry milling machine rails), boring machine spindles (2-4 meters in length), grinder wheel shafts, etc. Reasons for Application: Machine tool rails, spindles, and similar components demand extremely high surface precision (maintaining micron-level straightness after nitriding). The vertical heating method of deep-well furnaces reduces bending stress caused by the workpiece's own weight. Combined with precise glow discharge control, it can form a 0.1-0.5mm uniform hardened layer on the elongated surface, ensuring wear resistance without compromising dimensional accuracy. 4. Petroleum, Chemical, and Drilling Industry Typical Workpieces: Oil drill pipes (8-12 meters in length), oil pipelines (elongated tubular parts), deep well pump shafts, etc. Reasons for Application: These workpieces operate in downhole or high-pressure environments, requiring resistance to wear (from sand and mud erosion) and corrosion from hydrogen sulfide/carbon dioxide. The hardened layer formed by ion nitriding (containing nitride phases) enhances both wear and corrosion resistance. The vertical structure of deep-well furnaces accommodates the overall treatment of ultra-long drill pipes/pipelines, avoiding performance differences at joints caused by segmented nitriding. 5. Aerospace and High-End Equipment Field Typical Workpieces: Aircraft landing gear elongated connecting rods, engine turbine shafts (1-3 meters in length), spacecraft attitude adjustment shafts, etc. Reasons for Application: These components have stringent material performance requirements (surface hardness >60HRC, fatigue strength increased by over 30%) and must not undergo heat-induced deformation (with precision requirements up to 0.01mm/m). Low-temperature nitriding (350-550°C) in deep-well furnaces minimizes thermal deformation of workpieces. Combined with vertical positioning, it precisely controls the nitrogen ion penetration depth (0.1-0.8mm), balancing surface hardness and core toughness to meet extreme working conditions. 6. Mold and Tool Industry (Special Elongated Parts) Typical Workpieces: Long core molds (e.g., plastic extruder screws), elongated punches, deep hole drilling tools, etc. Reasons for Application: These parts require surface wear resistance to extend service life. For example, extruder screws can reach 4-6 meters in length, and deep-well furnaces ensure uniform nitrided layers, preventing mold failure due to local wear. II. Application Advantages: Why Choose the Deep-Well Structure? Compared to horizontal ion nitriding furnaces (suitable for short and thick workpieces), the core advantages of deep-well furnaces lie in their adaptability to elongated workpieces:   Shape Adaptability: The vertical furnace body allows direct suspension or vertical placement of elongated workpieces, avoiding bending deformation caused by self-weight (especially critical for workpieces with an aspect ratio >10). Uniformity: The glow discharge area is evenly distributed along the vertical direction of the furnace, ensuring that the thickness and hardness difference of the nitrided layer at the upper and lower ends of elongated workpieces is
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