Materials Science Forum Submitted: 2016-06-02

ISSN: 1662-9752, Vol. 872, pp 50-54 Accepted: 2016-06-12

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.872.50 Online: 2016-09-12
© 2016 Trans Tech Publications Ltd, Switzerland

Microstructure Change in ASSAB 760 Steel During Cementation and

Quenching Process
Lydia Anggraini1,a, Muhammad Adikusumo2,b and Rosfian Arsyah Dahar3,c
1
Study Program of Mechanical Engineering, President University,
Jl. Ki Hajar Dewantara, Jababeka Education Park, Cikarang, Bekasi 17550, Indonesia
2
Undergraduate School of Mechanical Engineering, Trisakti University, Jl. Kyai Tapa No.1, Grogol,
Jakarta 11440, Indonesia
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Trisakti University, Jl. Kyai Tapa No.1, Grogol, Jakarta
11440, Indonesia
a
lydia.anggra@president.ac.id, badikusumo@chind.co.id, cr.dahar@trisakti.ac.id

Keywords: ASSAB 760 Carbon Steel, Holding Time, Cementation, Quenching, Microstructure.

Abstract. The purpose of this research was to study the microstructure change of ASSAB 760
(equivalent to AISI 1045 and JIS S45C) steel subjected to the gas cementation and the quenching
process. Gas cementation is a heat treatment surface process by means of carbon diffusing into steel.
This process is carried out in a furnace in a fluidized bed by using media of liquid petroleum gas
(LPG) and nitrogen gas at a temperature of 1203 K and various holding times of 7.2, 10.8 and 14.4 ks,
respectively. The rapid quenching process is carried out in oil media for 420 sec. The results shows,
that remnant austenite is formed on the specimen with a holding time of 7.2 ks and the networks of
existing bainite structure are clearly spread on the specimen with holding time of 10.8 and 14.4 ks.
Additionally, this gas cementation process when followed by the quenching process is effective in
forming the martensite and austenite microstructures.

Introduction
Nowadays, the industrial sector’s development of machinery, automotive and metal-base has shown
significant progress on the basis of manufacturing technology of steel materials [1–3]. Industrial
machineries and the equipment components which were made from the metallic materials and its use
had some problems. The problems are not only mechanical properties, such as static or dynamic load,
wear resistance, ductility, fatigue resistance and hardness, but also chemical properties such as
corrosion resistance, density, phase transformation temperatures and so on [4–7]. To overcome these
problems, an adequate method of surface steel hardening is necessary and must be applied.
One of the heat treatment processes available and applied in the manufacture of the engine
components is surface hardening [8,9]. The surface hardening process used in this research was for
the manufacturing of a punch holder. A punch holder is a part one of the components that are included
in the tool holder. Cementation, nitriding and nitro-cementation are part of the surface hardening
processes.
Those processes can eliminate the tension, change the microstructure, and change the chemical
composition of the steel [8,10]. Furthermore, each process has its own characteristics. The objective
of this research was to document the changes in steel that was subjected to the gas cementation
process with various holding times and the effects on the microstructure of steel surface. Recently, the
use of gas cementation has increased in industry due to its superiority, compared with solid and liquid
cementation processes. Those superiorities include: higher accuracy of the depth cementation
settings, relatively clean in its effect on the metal surfaces of steel, a shorter processing time, more
economic- and time efficient when compared with solid and liquid cementation, and the possible
application in mass production with these advantages [11]. Up until now, the study of microstructure
of the gas-cementation process was limited. The objective of this research is to investigate the
microstructure change in ASSAB 760 steel during cementation and quenching processes.

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 Materials Science Forum Vol. 872 51

Experimental Procedure
First, the ASSAB 760 steel was cut into several specimens before being subjected to the gas
cementation process. The specimens were cut into rectangular bars with each specimen’s size
measuring 30 x 15 x 15 mm with as many as 7 pieces, to confirm the repeatability in results. In order
to reduce the surface roughness due to cutting, the surfaces were milled, ground and sanded with a grit
sizes of 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000 and 1500 mesh, sequently. Then, to obtain a flat and smooth
surface, the specimens were polished with autosol. Each specimen was marked with a code according
to the research to be conducted, as shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Specimens Marking Code and Carbon Contents Result Initially and with the Following
Cementation and Rapid Quenching Conditions
Pre-heating Cementation
Carbon
Specimens Holding Holding Rapid Quenching
Temperature Temperature Contents
Code Time Time Conditions
(K) (K) (%)
(ks) (ks)
I - - initial 0.50
Q1 1203 7.2 0.87
873 1.2
Q2 1203 10.8 by oil for 420 sec 0.86
Q3 1203 14.4 0.86
The next step was each marked and coded specimen was tied with a wire. Each wire consists of a
specimen that has been marked with a code. The step by step process in this research were; first, each
specimen was put inside the furnace for the pre-heating, then, each specimen was subjected the gas
cementation process and finally, each was rapid quenched in oil media. The purpose of pre-heating
was to prevent thermal shock which would lead to cracking of the specimens. Furthermore, the
pre-heating process is highly recommended for the steel that requires high cementation temperatures.
In this research, the pre-heating process was carried out at a temperature of 873 K for 1.2 ks.
After pre-heating, the next step was a cementation process with an applied temperature of 1203 K
and differing holding times of 7.2 ks, 10.8 ks and 14.4 ks. This process was carried out in the fluidized
bed furnace (Quality Heat, FH 69M). The fluidized bed was of medium size and was made from
aluminum oxide (Al2O3) sand with grain size of 105 µm. This gas cementation process was carried
out by a carbon source gas and a carrier gas, Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) with debit of 2 m3/h and
nitrogen 99.9% with debit 8 m3/h, respectively. The pressure flow for LPG is 20 kPa and nitrogen is
80 kPa. Both of these gas types were produced by PT. IGI, Jakarta, Indonesia.
After the cementation process with the three holding time variations was completed, each
specimen was removed from the fluidized bed furnace, then immediately dipped into the oil tank for
420 sec. This rapid quenching process was inhibiting out of carbon atoms that have diffused into the
surface of the specimens. The last step, each specimen was lifted from the oil tank. Figure 1 shows a
diagram of the step processes consists of pre-heating, cementation and quenching in media of oil.
The chemical composition was also investigated in this research. The purpose of the investigation
of chemical composition is to examine the changes in the chemical composition of the initial
specimen and the specimen after cementation process which was diffused with active carbon atoms.
These observations were made by using a spectrometer and were conducted at PT. Bakrie Tosanjaya,
West Java, Indonesia.

Results and Discussion

After pre-heating and gas cementation was applied to the ASSAB 760 steel, found there is no crack
occured on the specimen’s surface and changes happened in the microstructure and in the chemical
composition. The changes were in the form of increased levels of carbon that diffused on the surface
that the chemical composition was affected by temperature and holding time, as well as changes in the
microstructure that occur on the carbon steel.
52 Material and Manufacturing Technology VII

Fig. 1. Diagram of process step from pre-heating, cementation to quenching on ASSAB 760 steel.
The results of the chemical composition evaluation occurred from the initial condition (I) followed
by the cementation process with holding times of 7.2 ks (Q1), 10.8 ks (Q2) and 14.4 ks (Q3), and
quenching in oil for 420 sec, respectively, as shown in Table 1. From the analysis carbon contents
increase with the increasing of holding times during the cementation process. These increasing carbon
contents occurred as a result of the diffusion process of carbon atoms derived from LPG in the gas
cementation process.
The microstructure change was examined by an optical microscope with constant magnification of
500x. The result of the microstructure examination of the ASSAB 760 carbon steel shows that the
initial condition specimen consists of ferrite and pearlite structures as shown in Figure 2.

Fig. 2. Microstructure of ASSAB 760 steel processed by cementation for 0 sec (initial).
The microstructure of carbon steel after gas cementation process with a temperature of 1203 K for
7.2, 10.8 and 14.4 ks shows pearlite (Pt) and ferrite (α). The holding time of the cementation
temperature had an effect on the amount of Pt and α contained on the specimens, as shown in Figure 3
(a), (c) and (e).
After quenched in oil for 420 sec, there is a network of bainite (B) and martensite (M) with needle
structures in dark color and little remnant austenite (γ1) structure. The core part of this steel still
showed there is a bainite and remnant austenite. The specimens with cementation holding time of 7.2
ks, show the visible remnant austenite was less than in untreated specimen and the networks of
existing bainite structures were clearly spread and added on the microstructure of martensite and
remnant austenite. The microstructure of the specimen with holding time of 10.8 ks and 14.4 ks also
showed a similarity in distribution of martensite, bainite and remnant austenite. Figures 3 (b), (d) and
(f) show the microstructure of ASSAB 760 carbon steel in surface and cross-section images after oil
quenched for 420 sec of Q1, Q2 and Q3 specimens, respectively.
 Materials Science Forum Vol. 872 53

Fig. 3. Cross-sectional microstructure of ASSAB 760 steel processed by cementation for (a) 7.2 ks,
(c) 10.8 ks and (e) 14.4 ks, followed by quenching for 420 sec (b), (d), (f) with magnification 500x.
This microstructure change happened because of the effect of diffusion when ASSAB 760 carbon
steel was subjected to the cementation and quenching process as shown in the illustration of phase
diagram followed by cementation and time-temperature transformation (TTT) diagrams of ASSAB
760 carbon steel in Figure 4.

Conclusions
Based on the analysis conducted on the results of experimental studies on ASSAB 760 carbon steel, it
can be concluded:
1. Initial heating at a temperature of 873 K with holding time of 1.2 ks was effective in preventing
cracking that may arise as a result of thermal shock.
2. Gas cementation with a temperature of 1203 K and holding times from 7.2 to 14.4 ks were
successful in changing the microstructure of ASSAB 760 steel.
3. Oil quenching rapid process was effective in forming the bainite, martensite and austenite
microstructure.
54 Material and Manufacturing Technology VII

Fig. 4. Illustration of phase diagram followed by cementation and TTT diagram of ASSAB 760
carbon steel by gas cementation and oil quenching process.

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