A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF CARBURIZING PROCESSES IN STEELS: DIFFUSION MECHANISMS, PROCESS PARAMETERS, AND SURFACE PERFORMANCE

Reinaldo Evan Audrey; Bernadus Crisanto Putra Mbulu; Antonius Prisma Jalu Permana

doi:10.59581/metal.v4i1.171

Authors

Reinaldo Evan Audrey Universitas Katholik Widya Karya
Bernadus Crisanto Putra Mbulu Universitas Katholik Widya Karya
Antonius Prisma Jalu Permana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59581/metal.v4i1.171

Keywords:

Carburizing Process, Thermochemical Treatment, Carbon Diffusion, Case Hardening, Wear Resistance

Abstract

Carburizing is one of the most widely applied thermochemical surface treatments to enhance the mechanical performance of steels; however, existing studies remain fragmented, with limited integration of diffusion mechanisms, process parameters, and their combined effects on surface performance, which hinders process optimization for advanced applications requiring improved wear and corrosion resistance. This study addresses this gap through a systematic literature review (SLR) of approximately 28 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus and ScienceDirect, using a structured methodology consisting of identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and comparative analysis focusing on key variables such as temperature, holding time, carburizing media, and diffusion behavior. The analysis shows that carbon diffusion kinetics and case characteristics are strongly influenced by process parameters, where temperatures of 850–950°C and longer holding times significantly increase case depth (up to >1 mm) and surface hardness (typically 50–65 HRC or improvements up to ~150 HV). In addition, clear distinctions among carburizing methods were identified: gas and vacuum carburizing offer superior control of carbon potential and microstructural uniformity, while pack and liquid carburizing provide more economical alternatives with lower process precision. Notably, inconsistencies were found in correlating diffusion depth with corrosion resistance, indicating a critical research gap. This review establishes an integrated framework linking diffusion mechanisms, processing parameters, and surface performance, offering insights for optimizing carburizing processes and highlighting the need for future studies that simultaneously evaluate mechanical and corrosion properties.

References

[1] R. S. Fegade, R. G. Tated, and R. S. Nehete, “Critical review on pull-in of aluminium in continuous casting,” International Journal of Scientific and Technology Research, vol. 8, no. 11, pp. 1948–1957, 2019.

[2] Callister Jr, W. D., & Rethwisch, D. G. (2020). Materials science and engineering: an introduction. John wiley & sons.

[3] X. Gong, B. Wei, J. Teng, Z. Wang, and Y. Li, “Regulating the oxidation resistance of Cu-5Ag alloy by heat treatment,” Corrosion Science, vol. 190, p. 109686, 2021.

[4] Y. Bai et al., “Microstructure and machinability of selective laser melted high-strength maraging steel with heat treatment,” Journal of Materials Processing Technology, vol. 288, p. 116906, 2021.

[5] I. I. Gurten Inal and Z. Aktas, “Enhancing the performance of activated carbon-based scalable supercapacitors by heat treatment,” Applied Surface Science, vol. 514, p. 145895, 2020.

[6] I. F. Achmady, “Analisa pengaruh peningkatan temperatur carburizing terhadap peningkatan karbon dan kedalaman pengerasan pada baja paduan rendah AISI 4140 dengan media pendingin asam cuka,” JMMME, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 1–10, 2021.

[7] T. Arai et al., ASM Handbook Volume 4: Heat Treatment. ASM International, 1991.

[8] C. V. Funch, K. Somlo, T. L. Christiansen, and M. A. J. Somers, “Thermochemical post-processing of additively manufactured austenitic Stainless steel,” Surface and Coatings Technology, vol. 441, p. 128495, 2022.

[9] H. Wang et al., “Optimizing the low-pressure carburizing process of 16Cr3NiWMoVNbE gear steel,” Journal of Materials Science and Technology, vol. 35, no. 7, pp. 1218–1227, 2019.

[10] R. E. Audrey et al., “Experimental study of mechanical properties and corrosion rate of low carbon steel AISI 1020 resulting from low pressure gas carburizing,” International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Technologies and Applications, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 220–235, 2025.

[11] I. K. Suarsana, I. M. Astika, and I. G. P. A. Suryawan, “Efek perlakuan pack carburizing dan media korosif pada baja AISI 1045 terhadap laju korosi,” Jurnal Energi dan Manufaktur, vol. 14, no. 2, p. 37, 2022.

[12] A. Noor et al., “Pengaruh proses pack carburising terhadap kekerasan baja,” Prosiding Seminar Nasional Sains dan Teknologi, vol. 2, pp. 73–78, 2019.

[13] H. Ferkous et al., “Corrosion inhibition of mild steel by 2-(2-methoxybenzylidene) hydrazine-1-carbothioamide,” Journal of Molecular Liquids, vol. 307, p. 112957, 2020.

[14] K. V. Werner et al., “Low temperature carburizing of Stainless steels and the development of carbon expanded austenite,” HTM Journal of Heat Treatment and Materials, vol. 77, no. 1, pp. 3–15, 2022.

[15] E. H. Valente et al., “Gaseous surface hardening of Ti-6Al-4V fabricated by selective laser melting,” Surface and Coatings Technology, vol. 383, p. 125278, 2020.

[16] H. Setiawan, “Pengaruh carburizing terhadap karakteristik pelat rantai motor berbasis baja SAE 1025 dengan media quench lelehan garam,” Universitas Indonesia, 2011.

[17] Nitha, Indika, and Andrianto, Pengaruh Proses Pack Carburizing Arang Tulang Kerbau terhadap Sifat Mekanik Baja Karbon. Zahira Media, 2021.

[18] H. Farivar et al., “Influence of post-carburizing heat treatment on core microstructural evolution,” Materials Science and Engineering A, vol. 744, pp. 778–789, 2019.

[19] W. Li et al., “Effect of vacuum carburizing on surface properties and microstructure of a tungsten heavy alloy,” Materials Research Express, vol. 7, no. 1, 2020.

[20] J. Guo et al., “Modeling and simulation of vacuum low pressure carburizing process in gear steel,” Coatings, vol. 11, no. 8, 2021.

[21] M. Z. Hasan et al., “Improvement of AISI 1018 carbon steel mechanical properties by liquid carburizing,” Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 20, pp. 512–516, 2020.

[22] R. A. Savrai and P. A. Skorynina, “Structural-phase transformations induced by liquid carburizing,” Surface and Coatings Technology, vol. 443, p. 128613, 2022.

[23] B. Venkatesh and C. A. K. Reddy, “Experimental study on heat treatment and mechanical behaviour of M50 NiL steel,” Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 46, pp. 795–798, 2021.

[24] Z. Liu et al., “Fatigue behavior of low-temperature gaseous carburized 316L Stainless steel,” Materials Science and Engineering A, vol. 793, p. 139651, 2020.

[25] Y. Jiang et al., “Suppression of hydrogen absorption into 304L Stainless steel,” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, vol. 44, no. 43, pp. 24054–24064, 2019.

[26] G. M. Li et al., “Study of M50NiL steel under carburizing and nitriding duplex treatment,” Surface and Coatings Technology, vol. 375, pp. 132–142, 2019.

[27] A. Bauer and K. Schreiner, “Dimensional stability of low temperature surface hardened Stainless steel,” HTM Journal of Heat Treatment and Materials, vol. 77, no. 1, pp. 16–28, 2022.

[28] S. Gençoğlu and A. Yazıcı, “Surface characteristics and distortion analysis of case-hardened helical gears,” Transactions of the Indian Institute of Metals, vol. 73, no. 1, pp. 119–126, 2020.