Growth Simulation of Spheroidized Carbide in the Carbide-Dispersed Carburizing Process

A simulation method that combines one-dimensional (1-D) diffusion models has been proposed for predicting the behaviors of carbide particles dispersed in the carburizing layer of high-carbon chromium steels. The first simulation was set for the heating stage prior to carburizing, using a microscopic model of a spherical carbide and surrounding austenite matrix. This revealed the undissolved status of the carbide even at carburizing temperatures, which was stored as the starting condition of the second simulation. Separately, in a planar model, the macroscopic carbon diffusion during the isothermal carburizing stage was calculated, and time functions of carbon activity were evaluated at the depth of interest. The change in activities was assumed to represent the boundary conditions of the local carbide/austenite region, and thus input to the restored spherical model to do the second simulation of carburizing stage. The simulation method linking these double-scale diffusion calculations has first been implemented using the DICTRA package, and applied to the carbide in multicomponent model steels. The carbide radius as well as volume fraction were successfully predicted for all stages in the carbide-dispersed carburizing (CDC) process. However, minor corrections were necessary because of the decrease in the number density of carbide particles and the discontinuity in carbon activity caused by the use of two different models.