Low Temperature Carburizing of Stainless Steels and the Development of Carbon Expanded Austenite

Low-temperature carburizing dramatically enhances the inherently low wear resistance of austenitic stainless steels due to the formation of a carbon-supersaturated solid solution, i.e. expanded austenite. The formation of expanded austenite from low-temperature carburizing has been intensively investigated. However, the influence of chemical composition of the stainless steel on the carburizing response has not received the same interest. This contribution addresses the effect of the chemical composition on low-temperature carburizing in terms of carbon solubility; decomposition of expanded austenite upon exceeding the solubility limit and the elasto-plastic accommodation of the carbon-induced lattice expansion. The results demonstrate that the carbon solubility increases with an increasing Cr-equivalent and that higher Cr- and Ni- equivalents favor the formation of Cr-based M7C3 over Fe-based Hagg (M5C2) carbide.