EP2203575B1 - Method for carburising workpieces and associated use - Google Patents

Description

State of the art

The invention relates to a method for carburizing workpieces made of steel with external and internal surfaces, according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a use of the method.

Processes for carburizing steel workpieces are used to harden the surface of the workpieces. For this purpose, the edge layer of a low-carbon steel is enriched with carbon for workpieces made of steel, before hardening of the workpiece takes place.

The carburizing takes place for example as Unterdruckaufkohlen. For this purpose, the workpieces are introduced in a vacuum oven having a process chamber for carrying out the carburizing. The process chamber is traversed by a carbon-emitting process gas to enrich the edge region of the workpieces with carbon.

In vacuum carburizing with thermal decomposition of the process gases, generally hydrocarbons, in the process chamber, the process gases are generally pulsed during the individual process steps, the process chamber being alternately evacuated and / or subjected to nitrogen purge.

Such a method is for example off DE-A 102 09 382 known. In this case, the volume flow of the carburizing medium is regulated and controlled in such a way during a pressure pulse that a uniform carburization of a workpiece to be carburized is achieved.

However, in some workpieces, it may be desirable for the surface of the workpiece to have different hardnesses. This is for example like in DE-A 35 36 452 described in fuel injectors for internal combustion engines of the case. Here it is desired that the areas of the valve seat has a lower hardness than the outer area. The different hardness is achieved in that, after carburizing or after nitriding or nitrocarburizing, a partial layer of the carburized or nitrided or nitrocarburized outer wall region is first removed before the workpiece is hardened.

Disadvantage of this method is that the workpiece must first be made with oversize in order to remove material after carburizing or nitriding or nitrocarburizing can.

The WO 2004/035853 A1 shows a method of carburizing steel workpieces having external and internal surfaces, wherein the workpiece is maintained at a temperature in the range of 850 to 1050 ° C in a gaseous hydrocarbon-containing atmosphere. At least two different gaseous hydrocarbons are used.

WO 2007/062008 A2 shows a carburizing process of metallic components using various gas mixtures of hydrocarbons for carburizing. It also describes a mixture of a saturated and an unsaturated hydrocarbon gas.

The WO 87/00889 A1 shows a nozzle body of injectors, which is carburized for the purpose of high hardness.

Disclosure of the invention

The inventive method is specified in claim 1. Particular embodiments of the method according to the invention are specified in the claims 2-8. A use of the method according to the invention is specified in claim 9.

Due to the different hydrocarbons or the carburizing pulses, it is possible to carburize outside and inside surfaces of the workpiece to different degrees. Generally, exterior surfaces are more carburized than interior surfaces. By the method according to the invention it is even possible, if desired, that internal surfaces are not even carburized and only external surfaces of the workpiece are carburized.

A reduction in the carburization of internal surfaces is achieved, in particular, by the fact that the duration of a carburizing pulse in which the workpiece is held in the atmosphere containing the gaseous hydrocarbon is not more than 30 seconds. The duration of a carburizing pulse of a maximum of 30 seconds is particularly preferred when carburizing takes place under reduced pressure. Here, during the carburizing pulse, the gaseous hydrocarbon is injected into a furnace chamber in which the workpiece to be carburized is contained. To terminate the carburizing pulse, the furnace chamber is purged with an inert gas. Alternatively, it is also possible to evacuate the furnace chamber at the end of the carburizing pulse. When the oven chamber is purged, it is preferably nitrogen. Advantage of purging with nitrogen versus over the evacuation of the furnace chamber is that when flushing a faster removal of the gaseous hydrocarbon from the furnace chamber is possible.

By the duration of a carburizing pulse, in which the workpiece is kept in the atmosphere containing the gaseous hydrocarbon of a maximum of 30 seconds, it is possible to carburize mainly external surfaces of the workpiece. In the case of pulses with a longer duration, on the other hand, an almost uniform carburizing of all surfaces is achieved.

In order to set the material properties in a targeted manner, it is also possible to use pulses with a duration of less than 30 seconds as well as longer pulses. Thus, during the shorter pulses, mainly the outer surface of the workpiece is carburized, and during the longer pulses, all surfaces of the workpiece are carburized. This leads to a weaker carburizing of the inner surfaces and a stronger carburizing of the outer surfaces.

When carburizing at least two different gaseous. Hydrocarbons are used, it is possible in a first embodiment that the at least two different hydrocarbons are contained simultaneously in the atmosphere containing the gaseous hydrocarbon. Alternatively, however, it is also possible that the different hydrocarbons are used successively. Alternatively, it is also possible to alternately expose the workpiece to be carburized an atmosphere with only one gaseous hydrocarbon and with a mixture of different gaseous hydrocarbons.

If the different gaseous hydrocarbons are contained simultaneously in the gaseous hydrocarbon-containing atmosphere, it is possible to expose the workpiece to be carburized in only one processing step of the gaseous hydrocarbon-containing atmosphere. However, it is preferable that even if the plural hydrocarbons are contained in the atmosphere at the same time, a plurality of carburizing pulses are performed. The carburizing pulses allow the material properties to be set even more precisely than by the simultaneous use of the at least two different hydrocarbons.

In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the partial pressure of the hydrocarbon in the gaseous hydrocarbon-containing atmosphere is different for at least two successive carburizing pulses. Due to the different partial pressure of the hydrocarbon in the gaseous hydrocarbon It is also possible to carburize external surfaces more strongly than interior surfaces. The greater carburization of the outer surfaces is achieved by increasing the partial pressure of the hydrocarbon. Accordingly, by lowering the partial pressure of the hydrocarbon in the atmosphere containing the gaseous hydrocarbon, internal surfaces are less strongly carburized.

The lowering of the partial pressure of the hydrocarbon in the atmosphere containing the gaseous hydrocarbon can be carried out, for example, by admixing an inert gas at a constant total pressure. A suitable inert gas is for example nitrogen. Other suitable inert gases are helium or argon. However, nitrogen is particularly preferred as the inert gas.

Alternatively, it is also possible to obtain a reduction in the partial pressure of the hydrocarbon in the gaseous hydrocarbon-containing atmosphere by lowering the total pressure.

Alternatively, it is also possible to lower the partial pressure by adding another hydrocarbon at a constant pressure. This is possible in particular when different hydrocarbons are to be used for carburizing. The lowering of the partial pressure is preferably carried out in this case with a hydrocarbon, by which particular external surfaces of the workpiece are carburized.

When only one hydrocarbon is used for carburizing, it is preferred that the hydrocarbon is unsaturated. Most preferably, the hydrocarbon is diunsaturated. A diunsaturated hydrocarbon penetrates even better, e.g. into holes as a monounsaturated hydrocarbon. Furthermore, it is preferred to use short-chain hydrocarbons. In contrast to saturated hydrocarbons, it is also possible to carburize internal surfaces of the workpiece with unsaturated hydrocarbons, in particular diunsaturated hydrocarbons. However, if carburizing of only the outer surfaces of the workpiece is desired, it is preferable to use saturated hydrocarbons or optionally monounsaturated hydrocarbons.

In order to be able to adjust the material properties in a targeted manner, however, when using at least two different hydrocarbons, at least one hydrocarbon is saturated and at least one hydrocarbon is unsaturated or preferably at least one Hydrocarbon diunsaturated and at least one hydrocarbon monounsaturated. By the saturated or monounsaturated hydrocarbon so mainly external surfaces of the workpiece are carburized and by the single or preferably diunsaturated hydrocarbon both external and internal surfaces. The partial pressure of the unsaturated or monounsaturated hydrocarbon makes it possible to adjust the degree of carburization of the internal surfaces.

If the carburizing of the workpiece is carried out with carburizing pulses, so it is possible for a duration of carburizing pulses of a maximum of 30 seconds, regardless of the hydrocarbon used, especially carburizing external surfaces. However, even with correspondingly short carburizing pulses, carburizing of the outer surfaces is promoted and carburizing of the inner surfaces is prevented when saturated hydrocarbons are used. However, if the internal surfaces are also to be carburized, it is preferable to use unsaturated, preferably diunsaturated hydrocarbons in combination with carburizing pulses whose duration exceeds 30 seconds.

The saturated hydrocarbon used for the carburization is preferably a C ₁ to C ₆ alkane. The saturated hydrocarbon is particularly preferably methane, ethane or propane.

The unsaturated hydrocarbon is preferably a C ₂ to C ₆ alkene or C ₂ to C ₆ alkyne. Particularly preferably, the unsaturated hydrocarbon is ethene or ethyne or a mixture thereof.

For example, the use of ethyne as a hydrocarbon for carburizing workpieces made of steel, that this good carburization of internal surfaces, for example, allows for drilling. For this purpose, however, it is necessary to expose the workpiece to the atmosphere containing the ethyne for a sufficiently long time. If the ethyne is only contained in the atmosphere for carburizing the workpiece for a short period of time, in particular less than 30 seconds, a reduction in the carburization of the internal surfaces takes place in this case as well and, in particular, the external surfaces are carburized.

On the other hand, by using methane or ethane, for example, only the outer surface of the workpiece is carburized even with longer carburizing pulses. On internal surfaces, only a slight carburizing effect.

The method according to the invention makes it possible, for example by using different hydrocarbons and / or short carburizing pulses, to carburize external surfaces of the workpiece more strongly than internal surfaces.

After carburizing, the steel workpiece is usually hardened. For this purpose, there is a quenching of the workpiece, in which the workpiece, which has the quenching temperature is suddenly cooled. Quench temperature is understood to mean the temperature at which a workpiece is quenched.

Quenching takes place, for example, in an oil bath. However, especially under vacuum carburizing, gas quenching is performed. This results in a higher retained austenite content in the more carburized areas.

The method is thus particularly suitable for the production of workpieces in which areas of greater hardness and areas with lower hardness are desired. Areas of lower hardness have a lower retained austenite content or have almost no retained austenite. This is particularly desirable where particularly high demands are placed on dimensional and dimensional stability. This is because the retained austenite is softer than martensite. In addition, a subsequent transformation of the retained austenite into martensite during operation leads to a change in the volume of the microstructure.

In a preferred embodiment, the method is used for carburizing a nozzle body of an injection valve, in particular a fuel injection valve. Such a nozzle body comprises a region for a valve seat, a guide for a valve member and an outer surface. By the method according to the invention, the outer surface and the guide of the valve member are more strongly carburized and the area of the valve seat is lightly carburized. This results in the subsequent quenching that the outer surface and the guide for the valve member have a greater hardness than the region of the valve seat.

In particular, due to the different carburization of the nozzle body, a higher retained austenite content on the outer surface and the guidance of the valve member and a lower retained austenite content in the region of the valve member. Due to the low content of retained austenite in the region of the valve seat, the required high dimensional and dimensional stability requirements can be met here. The high demands on dimensional and dimensional stability in the region of the valve seat are particularly due to the fact that at the high pressures, especially in self-igniting Combustion engines occur, a tight closure of the injection valve must be made possible so that no fuel can enter through the injection valve in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine when the injection valve is closed.

On the other hand, it is necessary to provide a high surface hardness in the area of the guide of the valve member. The high surface hardness of the wear can be reduced by the movement of the valve member on the nozzle body. In addition, a high strength in the leadership of the valve member is required. This is also achieved by a high surface hardness.

By applying the method according to the invention, nozzle bodies for injection valves can be hardened by a vacuum carburization so that almost no residual austenite is present in the region of the valve seat, whereby the required dimensional and dimensional stability can be fulfilled while in the region of the guide of the valve member and on the outer surface the nozzle body, a maximum surface hardness is achieved with a correspondingly high content of retained austenite.

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and explained in more detail in the following description.

Figur 1

einen Druck- und Temperatur-Verlauf in Abhängigkeit von der Zeit gemäß dem erfindungsgemäßen Verfahren,

Figur 2

einen Düsenkörper für ein Einspritzventil,

Show it:

FIG. 1

a pressure and temperature curve as a function of time according to the method according to the invention,

FIG. 2

a nozzle body for an injection valve,

Embodiments of the invention

In FIG. 1 are the pressure and temperature gradients as a function of time for the inventive method shown.

The process of carburizing steel workpieces is generally carried out under vacuum. The pressure during the carburizing of the workpiece is generally in the range of 1 to 30 mbar. Preferably, the pressure is in the range of 4 to 10 mbar.

At the in FIG. 1 1, the time t is plotted on the abscissa 1, the temperature T on a first ordinate 3 and the pressure p on a second ordinate 5.

In the method according to the invention, in a first step 7, the workpiece is heated to the carburizing temperature. The carburizing temperature is generally in the range of 880 to 1050 ° C, preferably in the range of 900 to 1000 ° C. The carburization temperature is the temperature at which the workpiece is exposed to a carburizing atmosphere.

After heating to the operating temperature, the workpiece is warmed through in a first holding phase 9 to the carburizing temperature. The carburizing temperature 11 is maintained substantially constant throughout the carburization process.

After the first holding phase 9, carburizing pulses 13 take place. Each carburizing pulse 13 is followed by a diffusion phase 15.

In the embodiment shown here, the partial pressure of the hydrocarbon used in the carburizing pulses 13 is 10 mbar. In general, the partial pressure of the hydrocarbon during the carburization pulses 13 is in the range from 1 to 30 mbar, preferably in the range from 4 to 10 mbar. During each carburizing pulse 13 there is a permanent gas exchange by purging with the process gas. The process gas contains the hydrocarbon used for carburizing. Furthermore, it is possible that the process gas also contains inert constituents.

In addition to the use of only one hydrocarbon, preferably a C ₂ to C ₆ alkene or C ₂ to C ₆ alkyne, preferably ethene or ethyne, it is also possible to use a mixture of a plurality of different hydrocarbons. If different hydrocarbons are used, it is also possible to use saturated hydrocarbons, preferably C ₁ -C ₆ -alkanes, in addition to the unsaturated hydrocarbon. Particularly preferred saturated hydrocarbons are methane, ethane or propane. However, preference is given to using a mixture of diunsaturated and monounsaturated hydrocarbons, particularly preferably a mixture of ethane and ethyne.

In the in FIG. 1 illustrated embodiment, first three carburizing pulses are performed. After the three carburizing pulses a longer diffusion phase takes place. After the longer diffusion phase 15 again three carburizing pulses 13 are performed.

In addition to the in FIG. 1 In the embodiment shown in which two times three carburizing pulses 13 are carried out, it is also possible that fewer carburizing pulses 13 or even more than three carburizing pulses are carried out. It is also possible for the diffusion phases 15 to have the same length after each carburizing pulse 13 or for a diffusion phase 15 of different lengths to be carried out after each carburizing pulse 13. The duration of the diffusion phases 15 is in each case selected such that the carbon content desired after the carburizing pulse 13 is set at the surface of the workpiece to be carburized.

During the diffusion phase 15, the process gas, that is, the hydrocarbon-containing gas, is pumped out. Alternatively, it is also possible that the oven chamber in which the carburizing is carried out, after each carburizing pulse 13 is purged with an inert gas. It is also possible that during the diffusion phase 15 at the same time a pumping out of the process gas and a purging of the chamber.

In the carburizing pulses 13, e.g. a pure hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture is injected into the furnace chamber. In addition to the use of a pure hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture during the carburizing, it is also possible to use a mixture of hydrocarbons and inert gases.

Suitable inert gases are, for example, nitrogen and noble gases.

In this case, the same hydrocarbon or the same hydrocarbon mixture can be used in all carburizing pulses 13 or different hydrocarbons or hydrocarbon mixtures are used with different carburizing pulses 13.

For purging the chamber after the carburizing pulses 13, any inert gas is suitable. In particular, when a gas mixture of hydrocarbon and inert gas is used during the carburizing pulses 13, the same inert gas is used for rinsing as that used during the carburizing pulses 13.

The last carburizing pulse 13 is adjoined by a final diffusion phase 17, the duration of which is selected so as to be on the surface of the workpiece to be carburized sets the desired carbon content. During the final diffusion phase 17, the temperature of the workpiece can be lowered to hardening temperature. This is shown by reference numeral 19. The hardening temperature is preferably in the range of 800 to 950 ° C, in particular in the range of 820 to 900 ° C.

Subsequent to the final diffusion phase 17, the workpiece is hardened by quenching 21. For quenching, for example, the workpiece is immersed in an oil bath. In the oil bath there is a sudden cooling of the workpiece. Preferably, however, a gas quench is performed.

During carburization of the workpiece, it is possible, for example, during some carburizing pulses 13, to use an unsaturated hydrocarbon, preferably ethene or ethyne, more preferably a diunsaturated hydrocarbon, especially ethyne, and during further carburizing pulses a mixture of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, for example Mixture of ethane and ethyne or preferably a mixture of mono- and diunsaturated hydrocarbons, in particular ethene and ethyne, or even saturated hydrocarbons use. During the carburization process, exterior surfaces of the workpiece are carburized with both the saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, while internal surfaces, for example, surfaces within bores are carburized primarily by the unsaturated hydrocarbon, especially a diunsaturated hydrocarbon. This leads straight to the use of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons or of mono- and diunsaturated hydrocarbons for carburizing that surfaces within the holes essentially by the unsaturated hydrocarbon, in particular the diunsaturated hydrocarbon, are carburized and thus have a much lower carburizing than external surfaces. However, directly at the surface of the workpiece, the concentration of carbon on both interior surfaces and exterior surfaces is generally comparable. However, the surface concentration on internal surfaces can also be controlled. The concentration depends on when a hydrocarbon is used for carburizing internal surfaces and how long it diffuses afterwards.

In addition to the use of carburizing pulses and / or of different hydrocarbons, it is also possible, in particular in order to completely prevent carburization in certain areas, to cover these areas by suitable covering devices or covering means. Suitable covering devices or covering means are, for example, masking pastes. Through the use of such Abdeckmittel or covering devices However, areas are not carburized at all. A low carburization is not achieved hereby. On the other hand, the method according to the invention makes it possible to carburize areas only slightly, while other areas of the workpiece are heavily carburized.

In FIG. 2 a nozzle body of an injection valve is shown.

In a nozzle body 31 for a fuel injection valve, an injection port 33 is formed. During operation of the fuel injection valve, fuel is injected into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine via the injection opening 33. So that fuel is injected only at desired times in the combustion chamber, the injection port 33 is closed by means of a valve member, not shown here. To close the injection opening 33, the valve member is placed with a sealing edge in a valve seat 35. The valve seat 35 is formed conically in the embodiment shown here.

So that the valve member tightly seals the injection opening 33 even at the high fuel pressures occurring during the injection process, very high demands are placed on the dimensional stability of the valve seat 35. In addition, it is necessary that even during operation no change in shape of the valve seat 35 occurs, for example by conversion of the retained austenite. For this reason, it is desired that the area of the valve seat 35 when carburizing the nozzle body 31 is not or only very slightly carburized. The low carburization depth is achieved by the method according to the invention, in which internal surfaces, such as the valve seat 35, are only lightly carburized by using the short carburization pulses and / or the unsaturated hydrocarbons.

On the other hand, it is desired that the outer surface 37 of the nozzle body 31 is strongly carburized to achieve greater hardness. Due to the greater hardness on the outer surface 37, the wear resistance is reduced by abrasion on the outer surface 37. It is also desired that the portion of the guide of the valve member 39 is carburized more, so as to minimize the wear and metal abrasion due to the friction due to the movement of the valve member. The method according to the invention makes it possible to strongly carburize the guide of the valve member 35 and the outer surface 37 of the nozzle body 31 and to carburize the valve seat 35 only slightly. As a result, in the region of the valve seat 35, a low residual austenite content during curing, which follows the carburizing, achieved. In contrast, the retained austenite content on the outer surface 37 and in the region of the guide of the valve member 35 is higher.

In addition to nozzle bodies for injection valves, the method according to the invention is also suitable, for example, for carburizing piston bores, i. long holes, which must have good dimensional and dimensional stability, in order to avoid a so-called "seizure", in which each inner surface is only slightly or not carburized and external surfaces are heavily carburized.

Claims (9)

1. Method for carburizing steel workpieces having outer and inner surfaces, the workpiece being maintained at a temperature in the range from 850 to 1050°C in an atmosphere containing gaseous hydrocarbon, wherein the workpiece is held alternately in the atmosphere containing a gaseous hydrocarbon, during a carburizing pulse (13), and in an atmosphere free from hydrocarbon, during a diffusion phase (15, 17), characterized in that the length of the carburizing pulse is chosen such that outer surfaces of the workpiece are carburized more strongly than inner surfaces.
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the workpiece is held in the atmosphere containing the gaseous hydrocarbon for no more than 30 s.
3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least two different hydrocarbons are contained at the same time in the atmosphere containing the gaseous hydrocarbon.
4. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in at least two successive carburizing pulses (13), in each case at least one different hydrocarbon is contained in the atmosphere containing gaseous hydrocarbons.
5. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in at least two successive carburizing pulses (13), the partial pressure of the hydrocarbon in the atmosphere containing gaseous hydrocarbons is different.
6. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the hydrocarbon contained in the gaseous atmosphere is unsaturated, preferably doubly unsaturated.
7. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, when at least two different hydrocarbons are used, at least one hydrocarbon is saturated and at least one hydrocarbon is unsaturated or at least one hydrocarbon is doubly unsaturated and at least one hydrocarbon is singly unsaturated.
8. Method according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the saturated hydrocarbon is a C₂- to C₆-alkane, preferably propane, and the unsaturated hydrocarbon is a C₂- to C₆-alkene or a C₂- to C₆-alkyne, preferably ethene, ethyne, propyne or a mixture thereof.
9. Use of the method according to one of Claims 1 to 8 for carburizing a nozzle body (31) of an injection valve, in particular a fuel injection valve, comprising an area for a valve seat (35), a guideway for a valve member (39) and an outer surface (37), so that the outer surface (37) and the guideway for the valve member (39) are carburized more strongly and the area of the valve seat (35) is carburized weakly, whereby the outer surface (37) and the guideway for the valve member (39) have a greater hardness than the area of the valve seat (35).

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