Points to be considered in carburization testing of alloys

Since decades alloys have been tested under carburizing conditions, for applications in petrochemical processes or for heat treatment furnaces. Alloy producers and users and research institutes have used gas carburization and pack carburization testing, but under various and often ill-defined conditions and have evaluated their studies by different undefined methods. Only very recently an attempt was to develop and define best testing methods, this project was supported by the Materials Technology Institute of the Chemical Processing Industries (MTI), and guided by a ‘resource group’ of scientists and engineers, it was based on the present knowledge on carburization and on the testing experience from numerous laboratories, collected by a questionnaire distributed all over the world. The main points to be considered in the carburization testing of alloys are compiled in this extended abstract from the booklet on carburization, which resulted from this action [1].